Bank technology

Despite impending data requirements, many small banks are still struggling with automating loan risk calculations.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said Tuesday that policymakers need to take a hard look at cryptocurrencies. Senate Banking Chairman Mike Crapo agreed the issue was ripe for a hearing.

The widespread nature of the threat (most computer chips are vulnerable) and the reality that banks are always juicy targets mean bank officials must take a series of protective actions as soon as possible.

Dueling blockchain stories — one arguing it was virtually useless, the other saying it could change real estate lending — seized the top spots this week, while readers also focused on tax reform aftermath and a key Senate retirement.

Overstock CEO and Wall Street gadfly Patrick Byrne wants to create a market free from trading practices he has long decried.

Banks still have advantages in the battle against big tech firms like Amazon and Facebook, but they will need to capitalize on those to survive.

Customers saw transactions recorded multiple times and experienced drained accounts and long hold times. It’s a warning to all financial institutions as they head further into mobile-only banking — glitches are more visible and painful and need to be addressed faster than ever.

The New York company, which offers loans and provides personal finance advice, plans to expand its product line and invest in new technology with the funds.

Helping young employees pay down student debt is a more meaningful benefit than pingpong tables at work or free beer.

Startups that have developed the technology for real estate finance are starting to conduct a broader array of transactions, including property sales.