Coronavirus

Many consumers are taking to the highways and the water for safe getaways during the pandemic — powering one of the few bright spots in lending. However, bankers warn that boomlets usually come with distinctive credit risks.

The service signals the start of a broader shift in retailers directly challenging Amazon and threatening the platform as a shopper's default choice, says Bolt's Greg Greiner.

The industry says the 2017 cut in the corporate rate helped position lenders to support the economy when the pandemic hit. But a plan proposed by Democratic nominee Joe Biden could strain banks' capital investment and hiring, observers say.

The Small Business Administration has been covering six months of principal, interest and fees for loans that existed on Sept. 27. There are concerns the moves are masking weaknesses in lenders' 7(a) portfolios.

Bank bill-payment sites have become less relevant over the last decade as more people go to billers’ websites to pay directly or use billers' mobile apps — often at the last minute. But the COVID-19 pandemic could flip the script on the $4.6 trillion bill-payment sector.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the lack of additional stimulus is creating "unnecessary hardship for households and businesses."

Bank bill-payment sites have become less relevant over the last decade as more people go to billers’ websites to pay directly or use billers' mobile apps — often at the last minute. But the COVID-19 pandemic could flip the script on the $4.6 trillion bill-payment sector.

The trends were already pushing new payment experiences, which now seem less futuristic, says VeriTran's Omar Arab.

The industry has long talked about embracing digital technology — but the time for talk may be over.

The threat has been exacerbated during the pandemic, as shelter in place orders forced consumers inside and businesses to close their physical doors, while simultaneously opening online ones, says Sift's Kevin Lee.

The industry is warning regulators putting the finishing touches on the Net Stable Funding Ratio that the measure could exacerbate volatile market events like the spring selloff of Treasury securities.

The flood of liquidity that accompanied the pandemic recession isn’t likely to subside anytime soon. Banks will have to employ a mix of securities buying, hedging and other balance-sheet-management tricks to prop up margins longer than initially imagined.

Credit union groups continue to make ad buys for industry-supported candidates in advance of Nov. 3, but recent positive economic news could be short-lived.

A survey of leaders across financial services finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred companies in every industry to dramatically accelerate their adoption of AI and automation — even in cases where investments to date have proven inconclusive or disappointing.

A survey of leaders across financial services finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred companies in every industry to dramatically accelerate their adoption of AI and automation — even in cases where investments to date have proven inconclusive or disappointing.

The coronavirus outbreak has taught community bankers to think on their feet and experiment. Speakers at an industry conference this week advised their peers to stay innovative to ensure they endure in a changing world.

For many U.S. cities and counties, the high number of walk-in payments and checks typically received for services, permits and fees has been aggravating but acceptable — until coronavirus struck.

Customers suffered when they were placed in mortgage relief plans without their consent, the Massachusetts senator says. She urged the Federal Reserve to take the blunder into account as it weighs when to lift other sanctions against the bank.

The optometrist Benjamin Thayil offers an alternative form of financing for consumers who may be wary of large credit card bills or shocked at the idea of paying for an entire eye treatment all at once.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a clear incentive for advancing contactless and digital payment technology — but the systems merchants put in place today could create new problems down the road.