ILCs

In her first speech as chairman, Jelena McWilliams signaled a focus on reviewing old policies, speeding up decisions on new bank applications and helping banks navigate marijuana laws.

Trump-appointed regulators are making headway on easing regulations. But there's one critical voice missing.

Comments by Federal Reserve Vice Chairman for Supervision Randal Quarles appeared to contrast with past statements by former officials about the controversial charter.

A decision by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. — soon to be under new management — on Square’s ILC application could foreshadow how other fintech firms seek banking powers.

Three Trump administration nominees faced thorough questioning from the Senate Banking Committee, although Democrats reserved much of their fire for the president’s nominee to the Federal Reserve Board.

The Silicon Valley payment processor is firing back at critics who say its bid for a bank charter would open the door to similar gambits by tech giants. Community activists, meanwhile, seem to be coming around to the idea of Square opening a bank.

Acting Comptroller of the Currency Keith Noreika called for reopening the debate over the barrier between banking and commerce, saying there is evidence removing it could benefit small banks.

Acting Comptroller of the Currency Keith Noreika pushed back against concerns that his agency's proposed fintech charter will unduly benefit nonfinancial firms.

Student loan platform Social Finance has withdrawn its application for deposit insurance, a month after former CEO Mike Cagney retired in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.

As market forces redefine much of the industry, similar to the effects of disruption in the retail sector, regulators should be embracing new banking models.

The Independent Community Bankers of America is formally opposing a bank charter application by payments processor Square, accusing it of trying to “avoid” certain “legal prohibitions and restrictions.”

Cynthia Blankenship, an executive at Bank of the West in Grapevine, Texas, has been a regular in Washington for years fighting for regulatory changes. She is encouraging other bankers to do likewise.

Meetings between bank regulators and technology giants like Amazon and PayPal underscore Silicon Valley's growing involvement in the financial services arena, and may presage pursuit of a bank charter.

Arthur Levitt says seemingly daily scandals highlight the lack of oversight and corporate governance shortcomings of financial technology firms, but two marketplace lending executives responded that more mature companies have just as many problems.

Readers chime in on debates about ILCs, the CFPB’s arbitration rule, the financial services ambitions of tech firms and more.

The payments processor Square has big plans in banking — but even after filing an application to charter an industrial loan company, it still doesn’t see itself as a competitor to most financial institutions.

The Independent Community Bankers of America had initially called for a moratorium in response to SoFi's application, and says now that Square's bid "has significantly increased our concerns."

Parents of IBs are exempt from bank holding company supervision by the central bank, but that is a strength, not a weakness.

Square became the third fintech firm in recent months to seek out a bank charter. Others are likely to follow.

Many of the arguments in this debate have less to do with the applicants’ qualifications than with traditional banks’ fear of new, innovative competitors.