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Every morning
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Wells Fargo’s Choice Privileges Mastercard is offering a 60,000‑point sign‑up bonus for cardholders who spend $1,000 within the first three months, extending the promotion through April 7, 2026. The card earns 5X points on stays at participating Choice hotels, 3X on gas, groceries, home‑improvement and phone plans, and 1X on all other purchases. Cardmembers automatically receive Gold Elite status with ten elite‑night credits. Free hotel nights start at 6,000 points, with premium properties requiring up to 35,000 points.
U.S. commercial banks with agricultural loan portfolios expanded their net interest margins in Q4 2025, driven by higher yields on earning assets and lower funding costs. Aggregate agricultural loan balances grew 3.9% year‑over‑year to $207.39 billion, with agricultural banks holding $87.83 billion and...
The mortgage industry is accelerating a shift toward automated appraisals, highlighted by the Mortgage Credit Executive Order and the upcoming UAD 3.6 system. UAD 3.6 will require hyper‑granular, machine‑readable data, turning every appraisal into a data‑mining exercise and expanding automated flagging that...
U.S. authorities alerted Goldman Sachs' Paris headquarters after an Iranian-linked group threatened to bomb the building. Police placed the site under surveillance, but a subsequent sweep found no suspicious devices. The threat follows a recent foiled bomb plot at Bank...
The Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, initially a pandemic lifeline, now requires borrowers to begin regular repayments after deferment periods end. Loans carry fixed interest rates of 2.75% or 3.75% and can extend up to 30...
The article argues that modern banking’s security still leans heavily on credentials, sessions, and device identifiers, leaving digital cards and instant payments exposed to fraud. It highlights regulators’ push for layered authentication yet notes that criminals routinely bypass these controls...
TikTok has filed applications with Brazil's central bank for two financial licences: one to operate as an electronic‑money issuer allowing users to hold balances and make in‑app payments, and another to act as a direct credit company that can lend...
Bank of America’s Alaska Airlines Atmos card will soon launch a refer‑a‑friend promotion that grants 80,000 bonus points, a 50% flight discount code, and a $99 companion fare (taxes and fees start at $23) after the new cardholder spends $4,000 within...
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is conducting its third mutual evaluation of the United States, scrutinizing compliance with anti‑money‑laundering and counter‑terrorism financing standards, especially Recommendation 8 that protects legitimate non‑profit organizations. The Trump administration has intensified regulatory pressure on...
The Payments Association released a white paper warning that authorized push payment (APP) fraud now largely originates on digital platforms such as Meta’s Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. It cites that roughly two‑thirds of APP fraud cases in early 2025 began...
Nexi and PayPal have expanded their partnership beyond Italy, embedding PayPal’s ecosystem directly into Nexi’s merchant platform across Europe. The rollout will initially cover Italy, the Nordics and Poland, giving merchants a single point of connection for digital payments and...
China is accelerating reforms to its Cross‑Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) to position it as a viable alternative to Western‑dominated payment networks. The first major rule change since 2018 expands CIPS beyond renminbi‑only clearing, adding multicurrency settlement and broader foreign‑payment...
Fidelity BancShares announced a cash acquisition of Georgia‑based Affinity Bancshares for $142.8 million, paying $23 per share—a 17.35% premium to the prior close. Affinity contributes roughly $882 million in assets and a portfolio focused on commercial real‑estate, construction, and small‑business lending. The...
Home equity investments (HEIs) and traditional home equity loans offer two distinct ways for homeowners to tap their property’s equity. An HEI provides a lump‑sum payment in exchange for a share of future home appreciation and carries no monthly payments,...
Rwandan banks have closed a landmark debt financing deal, dubbed Project Zorro, to fund the acquisition of IHS Rwanda, now Ishara Towers Rwanda, by Paradigm Tower. The consortium, led by Bank of Kigali and joined by Development Bank of Rwanda,...
The article revisits the TED spread— the gap between LIBOR and U.S. Treasury bills—as a historic gauge of inter‑bank trust that foreshadowed the 2007 financial crisis. It argues that today’s equivalent warning signal is the crack spread, particularly the jet‑fuel...
No‑doc HELOCs and home‑equity loans let borrowers bypass traditional tax‑return and pay‑stub verification by using bank statements, asset documentation, or cash‑flow analysis. Lenders still enforce Ability‑to‑Repay rules, requiring credit scores of 680‑720, a minimum of 20‑30% equity, and typically cap...
On March 19, the FDIC rescinded its 2009 Statement of Policy that limited private‑equity participation in failed‑bank acquisitions, aiming to broaden the pool of bidders and reduce resolution costs. The move follows a pilot program that pre‑qualifies nonbanks for asset...
On March 16, Piper Sandler initiated coverage of Dime Community Bancshares (DCOM) with an Overweight rating and raised its price target to $37, up from $36. The brokerage cites a recovering net interest margin and anticipates significant loan repricing in...
A home equity loan lets homeowners borrow against the equity built in their property, typically up to 80% of the home’s appraised value after subtracting the existing mortgage balance. The application mirrors a primary mortgage—lenders evaluate credit scores, debt‑to‑income ratios,...
![[Payments Arriving] Evolve Bank & Trust Data Breach + $20 Settlement](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/evolve-data-breach.png)
Evolve Bank & Trust disclosed a ransomware breach in May 2024 attributed to the LockBit criminal group. An employee’s click on a malicious link allowed attackers to download customer data and encrypt files, though backups limited operational loss and no...
The Bank of England has opened nominations for a new RTGS CHAPS Industry Forum, seeking about 15 senior external members from banks, fintechs, large corporates and other stakeholders. The advisory body will help shape the design, development and operation of...
American Express announced that the $100 annual Shop Saks credit on the U.S. Consumer Platinum Card will be discontinued for all members starting July 1, 2026. Existing cardholders can still receive up to $50 in Saks statement credits through June...
Capital One has re‑launched its Venture card promotion, offering a $250 travel credit for the first year and a 75,000‑point bonus after spending $4,000 within the first three months. The card carries a $95 annual fee that is not waived,...
The 2026 Money Payments Europe (MPE) conference convened in Berlin, spotlighting AI, cross‑border payments, stablecoins, and the emerging digital euro. Panels explored agentic commerce, pragmatic innovation in payment stacks, and the next generation of tokenization aimed at eliminating PANs by...
![[Targeted] Signup for Venmo Credit Card & Get Triple Rewards (9% Back On Top Category)](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/venmo.png)
Venmo is re‑launching a targeted credit‑card promotion that delivers triple‑cash‑back for six months—9% on the top spend category, 6% on the second, and 3% on all other purchases. The offer carries no annual fee, no sign‑up bonus, and imposes no...
Chase customers can again cash out Ultimate Rewards points at one cent per point after a six‑year hiatus. The author, Benjy Harmon, describes his shift from high‑value Pay Yourself Back redemptions back to plain cash following recent policy changes that...
![[CA only] SAFE Credit Union $300 Checking Bonus (Can Now Churn)](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/safe-cu-600-1.png)
SAFE Credit Union in California has relaunched its checking‑account promotion, offering a $300 bonus that can double to $600 if additional criteria are met. The offer runs through May 31 2026 and requires a minimum $1,000 in direct deposits each month for...
The week of March 30‑April 1 will be unusually quiet in Washington as Congress and most regulators pause for Easter and Passover, but key events include a moderated discussion with Fed Chair Jay Powell at Harvard and Fed Vice Chair Michelle Bowman...
![[Expired – Class Action Settlement] [Targeted, CA only] Patelco Credit Union $300 Checking Bonus](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/patelco-400.png)
Patelco Credit Union is offering a $400 new‑account bonus, split into $300 for opening a free or interest checking account, $50 for adding a Money Market account, and $50 for enrolling in the RoundUp savings feature. To earn the $300...
U.S. Bank has raised the Business Altitude Connect card’s welcome bonus to 75,000 points, redeemable for a $750 deposit after $6,000 of spend within 180 days. The card carries a $0 introductory annual fee, rising to $95 after the first...
U.S. mortgage rates edged higher on March 27, reaching a 30‑year fixed rate of 6.64%, the highest level in eight months. Lenders initially posted a top‑tier rate near 6.7% before trimming it mid‑day as bond market movements softened. The adjustment...
Citigroup appears to be testing two revamped versions of its Strata Premier card, each carrying a $195 annual fee. Both proposals retain a 4× points boost on dining during Citi Nights and include a suite of statement credits, such as...
SoFi is rolling out a new checking and savings account promotion that can net new customers up to $825 in cash and points. The core offer provides a $400 bonus for deposits of $5,000 or more within a 30‑day evaluation...
![[Live 3/31] SoFi Plus Now Costs $10/Month (Removes Free Option) + 4.5% Savings Rate](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/sofi.png)
SoFi is ending the free SoFi Plus subscription, charging every member $10 per month starting April 1, 2026. The plan now includes a 4.5% APY on balances up to $20,000, a modest bump from the 4.25% baseline. However, the extra...
Truist is running a $400 cash bonus for new personal checking accounts across 18 states, valid through July 9 2026. To qualify, applicants must use promo code DC400TR1Q226, receive a single direct deposit of at least $2,000 within 90 days, and complete 20...
Mastercard has engaged investment bankers to explore selling the real‑time payments business it bought from Denmark’s Nets in 2019 for $3.2 billion. The unit, which produces roughly $370 million in revenue and $100 million EBITDA, is expected to fetch a price below its...
![[Targeted] AmEx Offer: Use Apple Pay Three Times & Receive $10 Statement Credit](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/amex-offers.png)
American Express has re‑issued a targeted offer that grants a one‑time $10 statement credit once cardholders complete three purchases using Apple Pay on an eligible mobile device. The promotion, which cycles periodically, is currently active through May 21, 2026 for qualifying AmEx cards....
Recent financial stress has spurred a wave of regulatory initiatives worldwide. In the United States, the Treasury signaled a possible reset of bank liquidity rules, including a review of the Liquidity Coverage Ratio and discount‑window caps. China’s CSRC introduced a...
Thunes announced that its stablecoin payout service will operate over the SWIFT interbank messaging network. The solution enables banks linked to SWIFT to send near‑instant payments to more than 500 million stablecoin wallets in over 140 countries, currently supporting USDC and...
Globacom’s MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank (MMPSB) has rolled out a refreshed mobile banking app that features a cleaner visual design and streamlined menus for account and denomination selection. The update introduces logical tabs—hot, daily, weekly, monthly, exclusive and special—to organize...
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has opened a formal inquiry into Egan‑Jones, a niche credit‑rating firm that underpins much of the private‑credit market, questioning whether its ratings are produced with integrity. At the same time, a wave of redemption...
TrueLayer has appointed Stefano De Lollis, a veteran who grew Satispay’s ecommerce arm and held senior roles at Klarna’s Sofort Banking, as Head of Ecommerce. The move comes as TrueLayer’s transaction volumes are nearly doubling year‑over‑year. Its Pay by Bank...
Canada’s banking regulator OSFI has moved from informal concerns to formal legal warnings that major banks may be breaching the Bank Act by using stale, blanket appraisals for pre‑construction mortgages. The watchdog cites rising default risk as new‑home prices are...
Singapore’s Monetary Authority has invited Ripple to join its Borderless, Liquid, Open, Online, Multicurrency initiative, using the XRP Ledger and Ripple’s USD‑linked stablecoin (RLUSD) to settle cross‑border trade. The pilot automates payment release the moment a shipment is verified, eliminating...
Varo Bank is offering a $150 cash bonus to new customers who receive at least $500 in qualifying direct deposits within 45 days, with the promotion running through March 31, 2026. The bonus is deposited into the account within 4‑7 business days...
The U.S. regulator’s latest proposal to ease capital adequacy rules for the nation’s largest banks marks a reversal of post‑2008 reforms aimed at curbing systemic risk. Critics argue the move weakens loss‑absorbing buffers, reviving the “too‑big‑to‑fail” dynamic that forces taxpayers...
![[YMMV] Chase Business Checking: Pay 5 Bills Online & Earn $250](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://www.doctorofcredit.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/chase123.webp)
Chase is offering existing business checking customers a $250 cash bonus for completing five online bill‑pay transactions within 90 days of enrollment. Participants must enter a 16‑character coupon code in the online banking portal to verify redemption. The promotion is...
