Bank technology

Blockchain technology could power the digital identity of the future, with banks serving as designated authenticators on behalf of their customers.

First Midwest Bank in Itasca, Ill., announced Friday that it has hired Jo Ann Boylan, formerly of MB Financial Bank in Chicago, as chief information and operations officer.

Federal rules for technology-based firms providing the fast-moving sector certainty and consistency would be a benefit, even if rules are suboptimal.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

Even as JPMorgan Chase tries to beat fintech firms at their own game it's still looking to these upstarts for inspiration, its CEO says.

Richard Hunt, the president and CEO of the Consumer Bankers Association, weighs in on recent moves by regulators to scrutinize fintech firms and whether the agencies are going far enough.

Regulators and lawmakers must exercise healthy caution before granting fintech firms preemptive powers via national bank charters or otherwise.

As the pressure builds for mortgage lenders to offer digital — specifically mobile — tools, innovators in the space are encouraging the industry to keep the customer as the focus in designing new offerings.

The deal to buy TradeKing would allow the online-only bank to offer wealth-building products to its roughly 1.1 million depositors. The additional low-cost deposits could also help fund loan growth as it looks to expand beyond auto lending and into mortgages and credit cards.

Most consumers haven't developed a "muscle memory" for using mobile wallets, says Julie Pukas, head of U.S. bankcard and merchant services at TD Bank. It will simply take more time — and, more importantly, widespread merchant acceptance — before consumers feel comfortable paying with their phones.

The U.S. shift to EMV — once considered as viable as the U.S. shift to the metric system — is well underway. Here are some of the latest signs of progress, as well as some of the biggest pain points.

PayPal Holdings Inc. is scrapping plans to build an operations center in Charlotte, North Carolina, saying that recent legislation passed in the state undercuts the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Agile development, a method of writing software in small chunks with lots of user feedback, is a growing trend in banks. Here's why.

Ally Financial announced Tuesday that it had agreed to buy the online brokerage firm TradeKing Group for approximately $275 million. TradeKing, based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has roughly $4.5 billion in client assets.

U.S. Bank's steep price for instant payments risks limiting the feature's appeal. Rather than overcharging, banks need to think longer-term about how to drive payments volume.

Delaware, whose business-friendly laws have lured more than half the country's publicly traded corporations and more than 60% of the Fortune 500 to incorporate in the state, is now vying to become a hub for blockchain technology.

As they look to cut costs, banks are looking across the globe for cheap spots to host parts of their operations. A new report identifies the best back-office bargains.

R3 CEV, the blockchain consortium backed by some of the largest global banks, has partnered with Microsoft to accelerate the deployment of distributed ledger technology.

Bankers are increasingly turning to their compliance teams to gain insights about customers for business purposes. Compliance officers, meanwhile, are turning to technology to fulfill their heightened roles.

Add U.S. Bank to the list of companies allowing its customers to access its mobile app through their thumbprint.