Risk

Merchants that accept bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies need an increased focus on the ways that fraudsters might try to exploit them.

Freddie Mac and Arch Capital are testing a new form of risk-sharing deal to boost investor appetite for low down payment mortgages. But the pilot is raising concerns about "charter creep" because it dictates private mortgage insurance decisions typically made by lenders.

Banks and payment companies have long been wary of the political and reputational risks of supporting gun sellers. But gun sellers know their customers better than most other merchant categories.

Senior leaders at the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said they want examiners to be more understanding of the budding partnerships forming between banks and fintech firms.

Bankers should be careful in their push to deregulate, as efforts to roll back some crisis-era rules will likely add new risks to the financial system.

The sale of firearms is becoming a flashpoint for millennials. That could put individual banks in the position of having to take a stand on gun control — or risk reputational damage.

Readers weigh in on whether or not banks should take a stand on gun control, opine on digital banking outages, reflect on banks building more branches in the internet age and more.

Wells Fargo, which has been told by the Fed that it needs to improve its governance and controls, on Thursday received an important thumbs-up from its outside auditor and also named the four senior directors who will retire next month.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and two colleagues are seeking more information from securities regulators about whether Wall Street firms are covering up signs of sexual harassment.

Kathleen Henry and Steven Antonakes have been named to the bank's management committee.

The Federal Trade Commission contends Venmo misled consumers on funds availability and security disclosures
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The Federal Reserve Board's vice chairman for supervision said he did not foresee the agency’s regulatory review as significantly reducing capital levels.

Blue Lion Capital, which is upset with the Seattle company's growth strategy, also wants to replace two of the company's directors.

As financial services companies cool on gun sales, alternative currencies may step in to pick up the slack.

The sale of firearms is becoming a flashpoint for millennials. That could put individual banks in the position of having to take a stand on gun control — or risk reputational damage.

By investing in next generation strategies and shifting their mindsets about testing, organizations can better safeguard and control the payments process, providing a more reliable customer experience and better protecting one of their most important assets—their reputations, writes Steve Gilde, a director at Paragon Application Systems.

Freddie Mac posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $3.3 billion and will request $312 million from the Treasury after recent tax reform legislation forced it to write down the value of deferred tax assets.

Amid all the complaining about increased regulation, and the need to maintain higher capital levels, bankers are failing to realize that there is also a significant opportunity: Those that develop operational excellence at deploying capital can set themselves apart from peers.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., asked Wells Fargo's chief executive to address recent reports that the bank's efforts to compensate customers for unnecessary fees is falling short.

By taking advantage of the peak sales periods with higher-than-usual transaction volumes such as Valentine’s Day, criminals can use legitimate payment and shipping platforms without raising fraud alerts, writes Ron Teicher, CEO of EverCompliant.