Resources

As banks struggle to find new sources of profitable business, are some making risky loans, delving into areas where they have little experience or are otherwise stretching in ways that they will eventually regret.

As banks seek to bolster defenses against fraud involving wire transfers and other transactions, some experts argue that they should be looking to people rather than technology for answers.

Mouths dropped when Attorney General Eric Holder openly admitted that the government fears prosecuting big banks would harm the economy. But what about going after individual bankers for fraud? Does the Department of Justice really lack incriminating evidence — or just political will?

With fatter margins than high-end corporate banking and customers who are more interested in relationships and service than negotiating the lowest price, the commercial middle market is the industry's sweet spot, says consultant and executive recruiter Rod Taylor.

With banks suffering a squeeze on consumer banking profits, the question for institutions large and small is whether emerging mobile and other services can ever make up for declining revenues elsewhere.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency's Edward DeMarco is pushing a plan merge some Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac operations as Congress and the Obama administration continue to punt on housing reform.

A BusinessWeek cover sparked controversy recently because many saw it as racist. But it also stirred concerns because it reinforced a persistent myth about the financial crisis: that it was caused by predatory borrowers, not lenders.