Today's Banking Pulse
Mortgage refinance demand plunges 18% as rates climb to 6.65%
Refinance applications fell 18% week‑over‑week, dropping to 38% of total mortgage filings—the lowest share since June 2025. The average 30‑year fixed rate rose to 6.65%, while purchase‑loan volume edged down 0.4% and the average loan size hit $473,600.
Also developing:
By the numbers: OakNorth acquires Monite to boost business banking
North’s Merchant Management API: CRM‑Level Control for Modern Payments Partners
North introduced a Merchant Management API that gives Wholesale ISOs, Full Service Providers, and Payment Facilitators CRM‑level control over merchant portfolios. The write‑capable interface lets partners view, update, and synchronize merchant data—including pricing, risk limits, compliance, and terminal settings—in real time. By exposing a single set of endpoints, the API supports both internal dashboards and branded merchant self‑service portals, eliminating the need for multiple legacy portals or ticket‑based changes. Access is limited to qualified partners with significant scale and underwriting expertise.
Christine Lagarde: European Parliament Plenary Debate on the ECB Annual Report
In a February 9, 2026 speech to the European Parliament, ECB President Christine Lagarde reaffirmed the central bank’s independence while emphasizing its accountability to elected officials. She reported that headline inflation has fallen to 1.7% in January and is expected...
Has the CFPB Reached the End of the Road?
The Consumer Reports press release warns the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is on “life support” after an acting director ordered a work stoppage and halted new funding. The agency has also abandoned more than 22 enforcement actions and reversed 20...
IDEAL's A2A Shift Powers Pan‑European Payment Sovereignty
iDEAL to phase into Wero starting in 2026 Strategic implications: Account-to-account payments (A2A) eliminating card network intermediaries. iDEAL processes 1.5B transactions annually with 100% Dutch consumer reach—now gets pan-European scale. Payment sovereignty meets network effects https://t.co/Qmf2G62B8k
IRRBB Management in Emerging Market and Developing Economies: The Role of Derivatives in Supporting Financial Stability and Economic Development
Interest rate risk in the banking book (IRRBB) is emerging as a top priority for banks and regulators across emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs). Monetary tightening and persistent macro‑volatility are making balance‑sheet exposures more fragile, exposing the limits of...
From Vision to Ambition: Evolving ESG Strategies in GCC Banking
GCC banks are shifting from ESG ambition to execution as regional regulations tighten and net‑zero targets loom. Mashreq Bank leads the field by securing end‑to‑end AA1000AS assurance for its integrated ESG report and embedding sustainability KPIs into senior management objectives....
Digital Employees, AI Bootcamps: America's Oldest Bank Is Spending Billions on Tech
BNY Mellon disclosed a $3.8 billion technology spend in 2025, representing about 19 % of its revenue – the highest share among large U.S. banks. The bank introduced 134 "digital employees" that automate repetitive tasks around the clock, while its human workforce...
Uber Deepens Adyen Ties and Other Digital Transactions News Briefs From 2/9/26
Uber announced it will broaden its partnership with payment processor Adyen, extending the use of Adyen’s Checkout API to additional geographies and more payment options. Honor Capital is collaborating with ePayPolicy to provide financing for insured customers making premium payments...
Institutions Favor Ripple’s Integrated Stack; DeFi Chooses Flexibility
Will the vertical integration (Ripple closed loop model - stablecoin + settlement layers) or horizontal distribution (Paxos/Circle model) dominate institutional adoption? Institutions might prefer the seamless Ripple stack, but developers and DeFi protocols favor the flexibility of multi-chain stablecoins.
Banks' AI Strategies Miss the Mark, Says Speaker
Excited to be speaking at the NextGen Payments & RegTech Forum in March. I'll explore why many financial institutions are missing the mark in my keynote 'Your Bank’s AI Strategy Is Wrong.' To register and access the full agenda: https://t.co/XIQySs0LfD @qubevents https://t.co/kTlwtWVXVs
Gradual End of Bank Dominance in India
India’s household financial portfolio is shifting away from traditional safe assets toward equities and managed funds. Between March 2021 and March 2025, bank deposits fell from roughly 47.5% to 43.5% of total financial assets, while mutual‑fund and pension holdings rose...
From Penetration to Inclusion: How CRC Credit Bureau Is Re-Engineering Nigeria’s Credit Ecosystem
Nigeria’s credit penetration has topped 40%, driven by a broader data ecosystem and advanced scoring models. CRC Credit Bureau, the nation’s largest licensed bureau, now aggregates information from banks, fintechs, utilities, telcos and digital payments, creating a unified credit view....
Hong Kong and Singapore Emerge Top Picks for Diversifying Investors
🇭🇰🇸🇬Hong Kong & Singapore to be biggest winners as global capital flows shift to #Asia: HK & SG are best choices for global investors seeking to diversify their portfolios amid geopolitical risks. DBS CEO Tan Su Shan via @SCMPNews. #WealthManagement https://t.co/j34B1J9Kz1
Digital IDs Unite Identification, Authentication, and Authorization
The Promise of Digital Identities (IDs) https://t.co/ZELeCaUzpS "A digital ID combines the three pillars of secure transactions—identification, authentication, and authorization". Not my words, the Feds. Well, to be fair, my words too. Albeit some time ago. https://t.co/aTC5u5N9wx
How the U.S. Treasury Engineered a Dollar Squeeze in Iran
The U.S. Treasury, through OFAC, reclassified key Iranian banks and instituted secondary sanctions that block dollar‑clearing for Iran’s oil trade. By cutting off access to the SWIFT network and threatening non‑U.S. firms that facilitate dollar transactions, the Treasury forced a...
Child Benefit and Credit Cards
The episode investigates a widespread HMRC error that suspended Child Benefit for over 60% of eligible parents after mistakenly interpreting travel data as a move abroad, affecting payments worth at least £100 a month. It reveals that 63% of suspensions...
A New POS Terminal Emerges While Tap To Pay Figures in a New App
Clip introduced the Clip Total 3 point‑of‑sale terminal, a $899 device that adds order management, inventory catalog, a customer‑facing screen, high‑speed printer and dual cameras for Mexican merchants, especially restaurants. At the same time, Mexico‑based SeoSamba launched a Stripe‑powered POS app...
U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: Late‑Cycle Freight Contraction, Early‑Cycle Pricing Power
The episode reviews the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index, showing that the U.S. truck freight market is in a late‑cycle contraction where capacity constraints, not demand, are driving higher rates. While Q4 2025 shipments rose modestly, they remain down year‑over‑year,...
Affirm Supports Mobile Devices and Other Digital Transactions News Briefs From 2/6/26
Affirm announced financing for Virgin Media O2 customers, extending its buy‑now‑pay‑later (BNPL) reach into the UK mobile‑device market. The company also broadened its partnership with Wayfair, adding installment‑payment options for shoppers in Canada and the United Kingdom alongside its existing...
Their Role Wasn’t to Question Customers, Just as a Sewage Company Doesn’t Ask What You Ate for Dinner
The episode examines how U.S. Congressman Wright Patman reshaped banking regulation, turning banks from passive cash conduits into active gatekeepers tasked with monitoring and reporting suspicious activity. It contrasts the pre‑Patman view of banks as mere plumbing with the post‑Patman...
Policy Paper: Joint Readout of the First UK-China Financial Working Group
The UK‑China Financial Working Group held its inaugural meeting on 31 January 2026 in Beijing, bringing together senior officials from HM Treasury, the Bank of England, the PRA, the FCA and their Chinese counterparts from the People’s Bank of China, the Ministry...
Unpacking PayPal’s Missed Moment: 7 Takeaways
Former PayPal president David Marcus posted a candid post‑mortem outlining why the company’s silent turnaround lost steam. He argues that a shift from product‑led conviction to pure financial optimization eroded PayPal’s core checkout moat. The analysis distills seven actionable takeaways,...
How the SCAM Act Would Encourage Platforms to Go After Scammers
In this episode, Paul Benda explains the SCAM Act introduced by Senators Ruben Gallego and Bernie Moreno, which would impose new know‑your‑customer and ad‑takedown obligations on major tech platforms that profit from fraudulent advertising. He outlines why current market incentives...
New ‘Disney Inspire’ Visa Card Revealed | List of All Benefits + How to Earn Rewards
Disney and Chase launched the Disney Inspire Visa Card on Feb 3, 2026, adding a premium offering to the existing Disney Visa lineup. The card carries a $149 annual fee and bundles a $300 statement credit after $1,000 spend in the first...
Scotiabank’s Global Head Of FICC On Staying Agile In A Volatile Market
Scotiabank’s Global Head of FICC, Stephanie Larivière, said heightened U.S. dollar strength and tariff‑driven trade uncertainty have spurred a surge in demand for structured foreign‑exchange hedges. Clients are increasingly looking beyond the dollar, favoring non‑dollar crosses such as the Mexican peso,...
HSBC Buys Out Hang Seng Bank
HSBC has finalized the buyout of Hang Seng Bank, marking Hong Kong's largest privatization and the biggest financial services acquisition in the market. The transaction delists Hang Seng, aiming to merge digital banking capabilities while preserving distinct brand identities. HSBC...
Saudi Arabia Opens Financial Markets To Foreign Investors
Saudi Arabia has removed the Qualified Foreign Investor (QFI) framework, permitting any international investor to trade directly on the Tadawul exchange as of February 1. The reform ends the $500 million asset threshold that previously limited foreign participation to large institutions. Foreign...
Tom Ilube CBE Appointed Chair of LINK
The episode announces Tom Ilube CBE as the new Chair of LINK, the UK’s cash access and ATM network, highlighting his extensive background in technology, finance, education, and philanthropy. Ilube emphasizes the importance of maintaining cash access for millions as...
Regulators at the Heart of the National Payments Vision
In his keynote at the Payments Regulation and Innovation Summit, David Geale, MD of the Payment Systems Regulator, outlined how the FCA and PSR are steering the National Payments Vision by focusing on system trust, resilience through choice, and upcoming...
Scarce Reserves
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Warsh is pushing to restart quantitative tightening, signaling a shift toward shrinking the central bank’s balance sheet. This move comes even as the Fed recently expanded its holdings to ease strains in the funding market. Warsh’s...
Tailor-Made Banking From High School to Retirement
Spain’s aging population, projected to hit 30% by the mid‑2050s, coincides with a surge in digital banking adoption—75% of Spaniards used online services in 2024. CaixaBank responded by creating a life‑stage ecosystem: the fully digital neobank imagin for youth and...
TKG Joins The Pack - Wolf X TKG
In this episode of This Month in Banking, hosts Jeff Marsico and Scott Baranowski discuss the recent partnership between Wolf & Company and TKG, exploring how TKG’s integration expands the firm’s service offerings and client reach. They break down the...
What Does 2026 Hold for Fintech?
Founders and investors see 2026 as a turning point for fintech, with stablecoins poised to become core infrastructure for cross‑border payments. AI is rapidly moving from theory to production, driving faster product launches and embedding agentic capabilities in financial workflows....
The Fate of Japan’s $6trn Foreign Portfolio Rattles Global Markets
Japan’s financial institutions now own roughly $6 trillion in foreign securities, a stock that has doubled over the past two decades as low domestic rates and a weak yen pushed investors abroad. About 50% of this portfolio is invested in U.S....
The Evolution of Direct Debit
In this episode, host Mike Chambers sits down with Richard Ransom of Bottomline and Mike Hutchinson of The Regular Payments Marketing Company to trace the half‑century history of direct debit, examining current transaction volumes, value trends, and the evolving supply...
January 22, 2026 – Closed Meeting
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation announced a closed‑door board meeting held on January 22, 2026, providing only a brief notice and a contact for information requests. The meeting’s agenda was not disclosed, reflecting standard practice for discussing confidential supervisory and resolution matters....
From Electrum to Sterling: A Brief History of Money
The episode traces the evolution of money from the first electrum coins minted in Lydia around 640 BC, through the early experiments with paper money in China and Sweden, to the rise of national central banks that backed notes with government...
Technology Meets Trust: The Real Role of Digital Banking, with Frank Hopkins.
In this episode, host Josh DeTar talks with Frank Hopkins, founder and CEO of Hopkins Leadership, about how community banks can stay relevant amid rapid technological change and competition from larger institutions. Hopkins emphasizes that a bank’s true advantage lies...
A CFO’s Greatest Asset? Getting Comfortable With Complexity
Heather Luck, CFO of Five Star Bank, highlights the expanding complexity of the finance function in community banking. She balances board relations, SEC reporting, regulatory compliance, treasury, budgeting, and HR while driving geographic expansion into the San Francisco Bay Area and...
Fed Independence Goes Before the Supreme Court
The episode examines the Supreme Court case questioning whether a president can fire a sitting Federal Reserve governor, focusing on President Donald Trump's attempt to remove Governor Lisa Cook. Experts discuss the legal precedent of presidential authority over other federal...
Bank-Backed Stablecoins: A New Chapter for Payments in Europe?
European banks, led by CaixaBank and peers, are creating a euro‑denominated, bank‑backed stablecoin. The initiative, organized through the Qivalis consortium, complies with the EU’s MiCA regulation and targets enterprise‑level payments. It aims to enable instant, programmable, cross‑border settlements that improve...
The Future of Risk: Integrating AI and Human Intelligence for Proactive Mitigation with Garry Singh
In this 29‑minute episode, Garry Singh, President of IIRIS Consulting, explains how AI can shift risk management from a reactive to a predictive discipline. He outlines practical steps for leaders to embed machine learning into risk identification, while emphasizing the...
A Lone Star Banking Perspective
In this episode, Ron Butler, chairman of the Texas Bankers Association and CAO of First Financial Bank, explains why Texas’s economy—large enough to rank eighth globally if it were a country—makes the state a magnet for investment and out‑of‑state bank...
January 22, 2026 — Sunshine Act Meeting Notice
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) will hold its Board of Directors meeting on January 22, 2026, streamed publicly via webcast. The agenda features an amendment to the FDIC’s Guidelines for Appeals of Material Supervisory Determinations, a final rule on official signs...
Could a Cap on Credit-Card Rates Really Hurt Consumers?
The episode examines President Trump's proposal to impose a temporary 10% cap on credit‑card interest rates, exploring the arguments from big banks that such a limit could restrict credit availability and disproportionately affect vulnerable borrowers. It also touches on soaring...
Xero’s Jolly on Building a Tech Roadmap to Level Playing Field for Small Businesses
Xero has launched an AI‑powered analytics suite aimed at small‑business owners, a move driven by chief product and technology officer Diya Jolly. After acquiring Syft and Melio, Xero now offers customizable dashboards, cash‑flow managers, health scorecards and instant AI‑generated insights....