Coronavirus

A collaboration between the two industries to help voters cast absentee ballots has been approved to continue through the general election.

Measures designed to give banks and credit unions more flexibility to help customers weather the coronavirus pandemic are set to expire Dec. 31 unless Congress renews them.

The Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department released a set of FAQ's aimed to clearing up misconceptions about the Main Street Lending program and encouraging more bank participation.

Mastercard Inc. is encouraging its staff to begin returning to its New York-area offices, joining other large employers seeking to bring workers back after months at home.

The San Diego bank first considered finding a buyer two years ago and had offers in early 2019. The price of the deal it finally reached in the throes of the pandemic was much lower than some earlier offers.

The humble QR code — invented for automobile manufacturing in 1994 — had been on the rise as a payment method for many years, but the pandemic expanded its use in the U.S. in some unforeseen ways.

The agency has scheduled an extra assessment of institutions' strength to incorporate more recent economic data during the pandemic.

Deal activity, already on pace for its slowest year in more than two decades, will likely remain suppressed until bankers get a handle on credit exposure and more clarity on valuations.

With only a fraction of the funds allocated being used, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank is considering tweaks to the middle-market rescue program in an appeal to lenders wary of taking on added risk.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been slammed for planning an additional refinancing charge to cover COVID-related losses, but the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency defended the policy in House testimony.

The pandemic has upended many business tasks, creating a rush among processors to expand the digital experience without complicating it.

New analysis from CO-OP Financial Services showed credit union members veering closer to traditional card usage, but the lack of additional pandemic relief could hamper interchange growth this fall.

Congress should pass legislation that would allow Home Loan banks to backstop deposits by local governments at commercial banks and lower the cost of bond financing, two mayors argue.

London-based Rapyd has added Mastercard and Visa acceptance to its European payments platform to help merchants take advantage of retail’s shift to online.

Dodger Stadium looks odd now — filled with fake crowd noise and cardboard cutout spectators — but in this downtime it's putting in an almost entirely invisible 5G wireless connection and new point of sale system.

Several companies said this week they’re slashing expenses as the economy limps along. Others would prefer to keep investing in new technologies and hold off on moves like branch closings to better gauge which changes in consumer behavior will stick.

A survey conducted by Harris Poll and commissioned by Plaid found that 60% of U.S. adults are using more apps to manage money since the onset of the pandemic.

Banks are augmenting their use of masks, distance markers and the like with apps to notify employees of exposure to infected individuals and technology meant to make branch visits safer.

“What COVID has done for us is it has showed us where to prioritize investments,” William Demchak said at an industry conference in discussing the Pittsburgh company's plans to speed up the shift to digital banking.

In the coming months, governments will continue to disburse truly historic amounts of funds; and we can continue to expect historic levels of fraud. Leveraging technology can get money to those who deserve it while preventing criminals from exploiting this crisis, says Giant Oak's Gary Shiffman.