Today's Banking Pulse
Mortgage refinance demand falls 18% as rates climb to 6.65%
Refinance applications dropped 18% week-over-week, with the average 30-year fixed rate rising to 6.65%, the highest since August 2025. Refinance filings now represent just 38% of total mortgage applications, the lowest share since June 2025, while purchase‑loan volume edged down 0.4% and average loan size hit $473,600.
Germany’s Retirement Savings Shake-Up: What Banks Need to Know
Germany is set to replace the legacy Riester pension with the Altersvorsorgedepot (AVD) from 1 January 2027, ending all new Riester contracts. The reform retains a state allowance of up to €480 per year and expands eligible assets to include ETFs, stocks and actively managed funds, while dropping the mandatory 100% capital guarantee in favor of three guarantee options. Contracts will be fully digital, with a capped 1.5% total cost and a simplified tax framework. Banks and asset managers must select a compliant digital platform by early 2026 or risk missing the launch window.
Commerzbank Warned ECB Officials Intervention Is Necessary to Cultivate Euro-Stablecoins
Commerzbank has cautioned that the European Central Bank must step in to nurture a viable euro‑stablecoin ecosystem. The bank argues that without clear regulatory guidance, market participants will remain hesitant, slowing adoption of digital euros. It also stresses the need...
The Rise of Contactless Payments in Retail Post-Pandemic
Contactless payment adoption has accelerated in retail since the pandemic, driven by consumer demand for safety and speed. NFC cards and mobile wallets are now standard, prompting retailers to upgrade POS terminals and train staff. These investments have cut cash‑handling...
How No-Code AML Cuts Cost and Boosts Agility
Financial institutions are replacing legacy anti‑money‑laundering (AML) systems with no‑code platforms that let compliance teams build rules, workflows and reports via visual interfaces. Traditional solutions can require six to twelve months for deployment and heavy IT involvement, while modern SaaS‑based...
Rethink Networking in Fintech & Mortgage: Liz Short on RelationshipFirst Growth AI Change Management
In this episode, Liz Short discusses her book "Rethink Everything You Know About Networking" and shares practical tips for building genuine, relationship‑focused networks in fintech and mortgage. She explains how her firm, Short Solutions, helps executives overcome implementation gaps and...
Are You Taking Source of Funds Seriously?
The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s 2024‑25 AML report flagged source‑of‑funds checks as a persistent weakness, noting that 10% of reviewed files lacked any verification. Firms risk hefty fines, criminal prosecution, and reputational harm if they fail to match client funds with...
The EBA and ESMA Launch a Consultation on the Revised Suitability Assessment Framework for Banks and Investment Firms
The European Banking Authority (EBA) and European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) have opened a consultation on revised joint Guidelines for assessing the suitability of management body members and key function holders at large banks and investment firms. The initiative,...
SDK.finance Announces Top Transactional Ledger Software Solutions for 2026
SDK.finance released its 2026 list of top transactional ledger software, underscoring the shift from batch‑based bookkeeping to real‑time financial truth engines. The article defines transactional ledger software as the central double‑entry system that powers banks, digital wallets, marketplaces and cross‑border...
Credit Crunch: Around the World of Global Credit in 60 Minutes
The Bloomberg Intelligence FIC team examined global credit trends, focusing on a surge in Asian convertible bonds driven by higher rates, equity volatility, and issuer demand for cheap funding, while noting a slowdown in Chinese dollar bond issuance as firms...
Chase Adds New Transfer Partner
Chase has announced Wyndham Rewards as a new transfer partner for its Ultimate Rewards portfolio, extending the option to Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, J.P. Morgan Reserve and Ink Business Preferred cardholders. The transfer ratio is expected to be 1:1, though the...
WFE Flags Settlement Risks in Push Toward 24/5 Trading
The World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) warns that extending equity trading to a 24‑hours‑five‑days (24/5) schedule introduces settlement and liquidity risks unless clearing, settlement and payment infrastructures are upgraded. U.S. venues such as NYSE Arca, Nasdaq and Cboe are piloting...
Axis Bank to Launch HTD Programme for Commercial Banking Relationship Managers
Axis Bank has teamed up with a job‑focused edtech firm to launch a Hire‑Train‑Deploy (HTD) programme aimed at creating a specialised cadre of relationship managers for its Commercial Banking Group. The curriculum blends real‑world simulations, product knowledge and regulatory training...
Public Bank Posts Record Profit, Highest Dividend Yield
Public Bank. Highest Annual Net Profit •4Q Net Profit RM1.88b, up 2% •Total 2025 RM7.22bn, highest ever. •ROE ~12%, upper league among banks •Div 12 sen, 2025 total 22.5 sen (2024: 21 sen). Record high div payout ~60%. Annual div yield around...
ENovate and Cobi Partner to Launch AI-Powered Digital Payment Infrastructure in Egypt
eNovate, a subsidiary of eFinance Investment Group, has teamed with UAE‑based AI platform Cobi under Mastercard’s Engage programme to embed artificial intelligence across Egypt’s digital payment landscape. The partnership will debut in Q1 2026 on eNovate’s Rize digital wallet, delivering real‑time...
Submission of Rule Filing SR-DTC-2026-002 – Amend the Clearing Agency Stress Testing Framework
On February 25, 2026, The Depository Trust Company (DTC) submitted rule filing SR‑DTC‑2026‑002 to the SEC, proposing amendments to the Clearing Agency Stress Testing Framework shared by DTC, the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, and the National Securities Clearing Corporation. The...
Tenants Using Bank Fraud Reports to Challenge Rent and Deposit Payments – Claim
Tenants are increasingly filing Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud reports to contest rent and holding‑deposit payments, treating the banking route as a quicker, less adversarial alternative to traditional tenancy dispute mechanisms. Letting agents are left to defend these claims through...
Yuan Deposits Rise, Household Growth Slows, Non‑bank Surge Persists
Yicai: "Chinese yuan deposits saw strong year-on-year growth in January, but the pattern of slower household deposit growth alongside faster non-bank deposit growth persisted. Industry insiders said this does not mean that money is leaving the banking system, nor does...
Consumers Misunderstand Finance; Industry Thrives on Confusion
Two leading economists spent years studying how ordinary people interact with the financial system. Their conclusion: most consumers don't understand what they're buying.. and the industry profits from that confusion. My latest for @IFAdotcom 👉 https://t.co/wJzz7eYwJx @PrincetonUPress #Investing #FinancialLiteracy #FinancialRegulation
HSBC Earnings Out, Upper End of Estimates. Also HK Budget Out
HSBC reported a 7.4% year‑on‑year drop in 2025 profit before tax to US$29.907 billion, landing near the top of its forecast range. Basic earnings per share were US$1.21 and the bank declared a fourth interim dividend of US$0.45, bringing the total...
Lagarde Likely to Exit Early, Knot Poised as Successor
Christine Lagarde is expected to leave the ECB before her term ends, paving the way for Klaas Knot to succeed her as president, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists https://t.co/rjUbI1zZMG via @jrandow https://t.co/aOgFWMclPG
BofA Records Highest Euro Allocation, Cuts US Exposure
Bank of America show the biggest positive allocation to #euro assets on record in an impressive global rebalancing. A net 22% say they hold a lower-than-benchmark allocation to US, from just 6% at end of 2025. The backlash appears to...
Starving the Watchdog
Congress has stripped more than $40 billion of IRS funding authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act, threatening the agency’s capacity to combat cross‑border financial crime. IRS Criminal Investigation referrals fell to a 40‑year low in FY2024, and its special‑agent force has...
Stablecoins Silently Infiltrate Merchants, PSPs, and Fintechs
Stablecoins are quietly embedding themselves across merchants, PSPs, acquirers, and fintechs, I shared how in January's edition of MPE Magazine: https://t.co/2i4ZQzcko7 @mpecosystem https://t.co/L0WnRe9iGB
AI-Generated Rumors Trigger Real Market Swings
An AI-generated doomsday scenario was enough to rattle real markets. Shares in Uber, Mastercard and American Express dipped, not because of fundamentals, but because narrative spread faster than verification. When synthetic analysis triggers real capital flows, we’re in a feedback loop with...
Gibson Dunn Discusses CFIUS’ Known Investor Program
On February 6, 2026, CFIUS issued a request for information (RFI) to refine its Known Investor Program (KIP), a fast‑track review mechanism for repeat foreign investors in U.S. advanced‑technology sectors. The RFI outlines eligibility thresholds—at least three covered filings in...
When Fintech Meets Community Banking
In this February 2026 episode of This Month in Banking, host Tara Ween and co‑host Ben Crowley speak with Emmett Shipman, Wolf & Company’s fintech strategy and growth senior manager. Emmett traces his decade‑long fintech journey, explains the evolution of...
Market View: Banks, Planes & Political Signals
The episode reviews recent market moves, highlighting OCBC's 3% profit rise driven by strong non‑interest income and a proposed special dividend, while noting net interest margin compression. Singapore Airlines showed robust revenue growth and higher passenger loads but saw net...
Covenant Trends – 2/23/2026
Covenant Review released its latest quarterly snapshot of new‑issue institutional loans that include a pick‑your‑poison covenant provision. The accompanying chart tracks the share of such loans by quarter, showing a clear upward trajectory over the past two years. The data...
McGrath RentCorp (MGRC) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
McGrath RentCorp posted Q4 2025 net income of $34.8 million, or $2.79 per share, and full‑year earnings of $134 million, $10.41 per share. Loan growth accelerated to more than 12% quarter‑over‑quarter while deposits rose 7.4% in the quarter, indicating strong demand. At...
Why New Rules Boosting Bank Mortgage Lending Could Be Good for Brokers
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Michelle Bowman hinted at regulatory tweaks that could pull banks back into mortgage lending, reversing a decline from 60% of originations in 2008 to roughly 35% today. By reconsidering how mortgage‑servicing rights are accounted for, the...
Viator Amex Offer: Spend $200 & Get $25 Back (Can Use Twice)
American Express has launched a targeted Offer for Viator that awards a $25 statement credit when cardholders spend $200 or more in a single transaction. The credit can be applied up to two times, delivering a maximum of $50 back...
Major Settlement Overhaul for CHAPS
The Bank of England will extend CHAPS operating hours, introducing a voluntary early‑morning settlement window that begins at 01:30 GMT instead of the current 06:00 start. The change takes effect in September 2027 and is designed to enable earlier sterling...
IRS-CI Uses Bank Filings in Nearly All Criminal Investigations
The IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS‑CI) unit relied on Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) filings for 94% of its FY25 probes, conducting over 3.9 million searches. BSA data linked to 89% of cases, directly originating 11.7% of investigations. Tax‑related fraud investigations uncovered $2.9 billion...
Did Negative Interest Rates Work ?
The article reviews evidence that central banks which pushed policy rates slightly below zero—most notably in the euro area, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and Japan—generated additional economic stimulus without triggering major disruptions. Empirical observations show that corporate deposit and wholesale funding...
Aven Review for 2026: Terms, Access and Customer Feedback
Aven’s 2026 offering blends a home‑equity‑backed revolving line of credit with a credit‑card interface, letting homeowners draw only what they need and pay interest on the outstanding balance. The fintech’s digital‑first application speeds pre‑qualification and eliminates many in‑person appraisals, positioning...
Bed Bath & Beyond Expands Into Home Financing Services
Bed Bath & Beyond plans to offer mortgages, HELOCs, renovation loans, and title services. They are also partnering with Figure Technologies to deliver digital home equity products to consumers. The move apparently advances its objective of becoming the "Everything Home Company."
Regulation Should Cover Crypto Exchanges and Wallets Equally
I trust this would apply equally to crypto and stablecoin exchanges and wallets, right? https://t.co/WxYHETT3uw
Chase Rolls Out Another Mortgage Rate Sale as Rates Fall Below 6%
JPMorgan Chase has launched a limited‑time mortgage rate promotion that applies to both home‑purchase and refinance loans. The program offers an automatic 0.25 percentage‑point discount, with rates potentially dropping from 5.50 % to 5.25 %, and is available until March 8 2026 with a 60‑day...
Payoneer Pursues OCC Trust Charter, Stablecoin Insights
Payoneer is applied for an OCC National Trust Charter Head of Stablecoins Rob Morgan gave @TokenizedPod an exclusive interview: https://t.co/X8PzdyA5AB
Internet Economy Outpaces Overall Growth, Becomes Primary Engine
Stripe’s annual letter is out: https://t.co/N0TpoPbs6T The biggest highlight is relatively consistent every year: the Internet economy is growing faster than the rest of the economy. This has compounded for enough years that it is essentially _the_ growth engine in places.
Bank Holdings of Residential MBS Seesaw Down in 4Q
Bank holdings of residential mortgage‑backed securities (MBS) fell sharply in the fourth quarter, registering a net outflow of roughly $12.4 billion, the lowest level since early 2021. The decline was uneven, with large banks cutting positions more aggressively than regional lenders,...
SEC Exemption Boosts Confidence, Not Immediate Prices
"The SEC innovation exemption may not translate into higher prices in the short term. But it gives investors CONFIDENCE. It says the industry is here for the long-term." https://t.co/FZZs6V5xGq
Market Makers' Confidentiality Duty Under Scrutiny in Terra-Jane Lawsuit
"What's interesting about the Terra-Jane Street lawsuit: How much duty do market makers have to the platforms they work with to keep information confidential?" https://t.co/FZZs6V5xGq
Morningstar DBRS Changes Trend on BBVA's Long-Term Credit Ratings to Positive From Stable, Confirms Long-Term Issuer Rating at A (High)
Morningstar DBRS confirmed BBVA's long‑term issuer rating at A (high) and short‑term rating at R‑1 (middle), while shifting the trend on all long‑term ratings from Stable to Positive. The agency cited the bank’s resilient earnings, boosted by higher interest rates...
Robinhood Chain Embeds Tokenized Assets N
"By making tokenized assets a native part of the chain, devs will make it native part of the applications on the Robinhood Chain" https://t.co/JXKHxOQebE
Simplifying Access to Tokenized Stocks for Everyone
"We are making it easy for people to get access to tokenized stocks, so people can build with it." https://t.co/FZZs6V5xGq
Short Takes: Home Prices Tick Up / Chase Offering Rate Discount / Bed Bath & Beyond Getting Into Mortgages /...
Home prices edged higher in the latest quarter, while Chase announced a modest rate discount to spur loan demand. Retail giant Bed Bath & Beyond entered the mortgage origination space, signaling non‑traditional players’ interest in housing finance. Bayview Capital began stocking GSE‑eligible loans...
Testnets Essential for Identifying Legal Risks, Says Robinhood Counsel
"From a legal perspective is very helpful to have a testnet, so we can understand what the risks are and what we need to mitigate. " Robinhood Crypto's Deputy General Counsel Coy Garrison https://t.co/JXKHxOQebE
Robinhood's Crypto Strategy, Terra Lawsuit, SEC Innovation Exemption
UP NEXT, DEX in the City @kkirkbos and Jessi Brooks sit down with Coy Garrison and Seong Seog Lee to unpack Robinhood’s crypto approach, followed by Terra litigation and the SEC’s innovation exemption. 🔍 Come join us! https://t.co/JXKHxOQebE
The European Central Bank’s Next President May Decide the Fate of the Digital Euro
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde highlighted the digital euro as a core part of her legacy, noting its progress from research to a live policy effort. The project is now in a "preparation phase" with technical design and pilot...