Economy

The U.S. merchant acquirer-processor arena is so mature that the only dramatic gains typically come from consolidation, leading to even more formidable combinations that make the next phase of growth even tougher. But there are also opportunities for companies that know how to specialize.

In his annual letter to shareholders, M&T Bank chief Robert Wilmers laid out in compelling detail how government policies intended to protect American families have ultimately stymied economic growth.

The megabank is looking to robotics and machine learning to save time and money.

The battle over screen scraping seems to be subsiding into a series of agreements between banks and fintechs using open APIs.

The JPMorgan CEO detailed the bank's $9.5 billion technology budget, forthcoming upgrades and more.

The Tennessee company has been working to resolve a memorandum of understanding tied to its CRE exposure.

Derek Corcoran of Avoka discusses how banks have embraced digital marketing but still struggle with digital sales. Author Randy Pennington talks about building corporate cultures that adapt and foster innovation.

Because the fates of banks and the communities they serve are so intertwined, the regulatory impacts borne by regional banks are inextricably linked to the repercussions experienced by their customers.

As digital and mobile capabilities have taken hold on payments and data security, acquirers and independent sales organizations have needed to quickly ramp up their tech knowledge.

Blockchain Capital wants to raise $10 million by issuing its own digital token, a method the firm says is the future for startups, VCs and everybody else.

The concept of a primary bank that satisfies all customer needs is becoming a relic of the past, so banks must rethink their revenue models.

The money is intended to help the North Carolina city become a fintech hub.

A bipartisan group of senators told Mel Watt, the regulator who oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, that he shouldn't allow the companies to recapitalize without congressional approval.

The OCC’s draft fintech charter requirements are far from perfect. States can seize this chance and collectively create a better regulatory environment for fintechs.

The Trump administration is seeking to immediately shut down the Treasury Department’s grant programs for community development financial institutions.

A group of 10 Republican senators are calling on Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to drop the government’s appeal of a ruling last year that rejected MetLife’s designation as a systemically risky firm and to de-designate the remaining two SIFI nonbanks.

Creative growth strategies are helping banks with $10B to $50B of assets — including Webster and TCF — improve profitability. These ‘tweeners’ deal with tougher regulations than smaller competitors without the scale larger ones have to absorb the expense.

From SoFi to Venmo, fintech competitors are creating a customer experience that is so fast and easy community bankers like Julieann Thurlow cannot help but worry.

As banks work to integrate their mobile apps with their physical channels, the march toward universal cardless ATM technology continues.

On Dec. 31, 2016. Dollars in thousands