Banking

A new breed of tax refund anticipation loans is testing that age-old maxim, with supporters saying that free really does mean free and critics suggesting that the products' 0% interest rates are masking the actual costs.

The honorees, selected by the editors of PaymentsSource, are responsible for businesses and innovations as diverse as the payments industry itself.

Stephen Steinour, chief executive of Huntington Bancshares in Columbus, Ohio, has pursued a risky strategy of taking losses in exchange for adding new customers, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.

U.S. consumers in December increased their borrowing at the fastest pace in three months. The result suggests that consumer spending should remain strong in the coming months.

Overhauling the S&L crisis-era method for intervening in struggling banks, which did not live up to expectations during the 2008 meltdown, should be a higher priority.

Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles has recovered $22.5 million of the projected $444 million owed to the agency as a result of residents with lapsed auto insurance. But some drivers believe the state’s Office of Debt Recovery is being too aggressive.

The continued development of blockchain technologies by banks and other commercial organizations for potential non-bitcoin uses has opened an intense public discussion. On BankThink and social media sites, techies and finance pros are debating whether financial intermediaries can and even should harness an innovation that was designed for a decentralized, trustless digital currency. Here is a sample of the debate.

The Federal Home Loan Bank System was designed to provide liquidity to community lenders and traditional insurers, not to unregulated lenders that circumvent the membership rules.

Activist investor Lawrence Seidman has reversed course and will support the lone Malvern Bancorp director standing for re-election.

The Obama administration announced a new cybersecurity strategy on Tuesday, calling for a 35% increase in funding to bolster private and public defenses and the creation of a new chief information security officer position for the government.

Financial institutions that are considering technology to power digital and mobile payments have an unconventional choice—the underlying blockchain structure that enables bitcoin to hasten execution and cut costs.

Eastern Bank turned to YouTube videos as a way to connect with customers it picked up in a recent acquisition in New Hampshire. It even got a little help from Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots.

Asset growth drove the Pennsylvania bank to create software that helps it vet and monitor vendors, with automated tracking of contracts and deadlines and storage of supporting documents.

Heartland Financial USA in Dubuque, Iowa, has completed its acquisition of CIC Bancshares in Denver and made related executive moves.

Dick Evans, chairman and CEO at Cullen/Frost Bankers in San Antonio, discusses the decline in oil prices, and what it means for energy lending at the $28.6 billion-asset company.

Sunshine Financial in Tallahassee, Fla., has agreed to name a new board member in exchange for a truce with an activist investor.

Pioneer Bank in Dripping Springs, Texas, has promoted Elizabeth Blose to chief financial officer as it works to finalize a merger deal and relocate its headquarters.

Under the new model, tax preparers must pay lenders for originating loans and are prohibited from passing costs on to borrowers. But consumer advocates argue that pricing of tax preparation services is so opaque that customers could be paying loan fees and not even know it.

Bankers need to let investors know in advance what types of deals they are willing to pursue, along with the financial parameters. Doing so is a critical step in managing shareholder expectations at a time when consolidation is heating up.

Chesapeake Bank & Trust in Chestertown, Md., has named former community bank chief executive Ray Tarrach to its board. Tarrach had been president and CEO of Chestertown Bank, which was renamed Mercantile Eastern Shore Bank in 2004.