Customer service

Video banking can be safe and effective but members and staff need to be reminded of common-sense precautions to guard against cybercriminals.

Axcess Financial is using stronger authentication, studying up on bad actors and planning to use a federal service that automates verification of Social Security numbers.

JPMorgan Chase is cracking down on racism by its customers. The bank is revamping a policy for dealing with abusive clients to include racism toward call-center employees as behavior that could warrant cutting ties with the customers.

Now perhaps more than ever, banks and their proxies need to show tact when communicating with past-due borrowers.

Business owners are changing banks at three times normal levels, a trend researchers attribute to their difficulty in obtaining emergency loans. If the forgiveness stage of the Paycheck Protection Program proves arduous, that rate could climb much higher.

Nobody knows what the next six to 12 months are going to look like. That means AP needs to focus on conserving cash while keeping operations moving, says Nvoicepay's Josh Cyphers and Derek Halpern.

Butte Community Federal Credit Union, which previously served just one county, added five more after getting regulatory approval.

Credit union executives have led teams through past crises, but the pandemic has created new economic stresses and mental strain that CEOs must address.

Digital banking has ramped up during the coronavirus lockdown but customers will seek somewhere to go as cities reopen. A branch could provide that safe haven.

Tyrie has advanced Bank of America’s virtual assistant Erica and rolled out easier-to-use digital products that resonate strongly with customers. Those achievements have earned him recognition as one of American Banker’s digital bankers of the year.

Credit unions need a clear strategy if they hope to break through to consumers already overwhelmed by the coronavirus.

The industry is well positioned to gain market share, but institutions may not see the same levels of growth as after the last recession.

Often overlooked in narratives about essential workers, branch and call-center employees are responding to challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis. They’ve processed emergency-relief loans late into the night, coached customers unfamiliar with mobile banking and made house calls to elderly account holders.

Regional and midsize banks, which continue to trail the biggest banks in digital engagement, could attract younger consumers by reaching out with more advice about financial basics, according to J.D. Power.

With its "people helping people" mindset, the industry is uniquely positioned to serve consumers who are suffering during the pandemic. Credit unions need to capitalize on this.

Credit unions can build trust within their communities by providing clear and consistent communication as the pandemic causes economic anxiety.

After opening-day fiasco, SBA upgrades lender portal with Amazon assist; West Virginia’s First State Bank closed by regulators; BofA offers emergency loans to borrowers first, freezing out depositors; and more from this week’s most-read stories.

Toronto-Dominion Bank is moving almost all of its call center employees from 15 different U.S. and Canadian cities to their homes in response to the coronavirus.

Few lenders are finding creative ways to provide much-needed financial advice and emergency services online.