Brics to Push for Intra-Currency Payments as ‘Immunity’ Against Western Clout
BRICS is evaluating a digital payments framework that would settle cross‑border transactions in member currencies, aiming to reduce reliance on the US‑dollar‑centric SWIFT system and mitigate sanctions risk. The proposal, spearheaded by India’s central bank, will be discussed at a foreign‑ministers meeting in New Delhi on May 14‑15 ahead of the September summit. If adopted, the network could enable near‑real‑time settlements for oil, grain and other commodities that account for a large share of global production. Analysts caution the bloc must balance resilience with avoiding a direct confrontation with the United States.
NewtekOne Inc (NEWT) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
NewtekOne reported Q1 2026 earnings with net income before taxes of $80 million, a 16.4% rise, and total revenue of $284 million, up 10.6% year‑over‑year. Diluted EPS surged 1,211% to $2.18, and the company raised its 2026 EPS guidance to $2.35 while...
Claude Mythos Fears Startle Japan's Financial Services Sector
Anthropic’s new Mythos model demonstrated the ability to uncover previously unknown vulnerabilities across all major browsers and operating systems, including a 27‑year‑old flaw and a four‑step exploit chain. In response, Japan’s top financial officials—including the finance minister, central bank governor,...
First National Corp (FXNC) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Simmons First National Corp reported 10% annualized loan growth in Q1 2026, crediting mature internal capabilities and favorable market timing. Consumer deposits rose 2‑3% quarter‑over‑quarter, supporting a 3‑basis‑point lift in net interest margin and a guidance target of mid‑3.80% by...
Mechanics Bank (MCHB) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Mechanics Bank (MCHB) reported a strong Q1 2026, posting a 15.6% return on average tangible common equity and $235 million of loan growth, bringing its loan pipeline above $1.2 billion. Deposits rose 5% ($363 million), outpacing loan expansion and driving a 15‑basis‑point decline...
Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc (CFR) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Cullen/Frost Bankers posted net income of $172.7 million, a 19.2% year‑over‑year increase, driven by robust loan and deposit growth. Average loans rose 6.8% to $21.5 billion and deposits climbed 3.3% to $42.1 billion, while net interest margin edged up to 3.69%. The...
Finwise Bancorp (FINW) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
FinWise Bancorp reported Q1 2026 net income of $3.9 million, a 26 % year‑over‑year rise, driven by $1.6 billion in loan originations that exceeded guidance. Credit‑enhanced loan balances grew to $118 million, lifting net interest margin to 11.42 % and non‑interest income to $22.3 million. The...
Escalade Inc (ESCA) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Escalade Inc. (ESCA) posted first‑quarter 2026 diluted earnings of $1.30 per share, marginally down from the prior quarter and flat year‑over‑year. Net interest income held steady at $166 million, with the net interest margin expanding two basis points to 4.28%. The...
First Internet Bancorp (INBK) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
First Internet Bancorp reported Q1 2026 results highlighting a 21% revenue jump to $42.1 million and net income of $5.3 million, driven by a 27% rise in net interest income and an 18‑basis‑point lift in net interest margin. The bank’s Banking‑as‑a‑Service platform...
Southside Bancshares Inc (SBSI) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Southside Bancshares reported a 327% jump in Q1 net income to $21 million, driven by the removal of a prior restructuring loss. Net interest margin improved to 2.98% and is expected to expand further after redeeming $93 million of subordinated debt. Credit...
Will the Bank of England Raise Interest Rates Today Amid Inflation Concerns?
The Bank of England is set to decide today whether to raise its base rate amid renewed inflation pressure from higher energy costs tied to the Iran war. After holding the rate at 3.75% in the March meeting, Governor Andrew...
Sub-4% Mortgage Return with Barclays – Will Other Lenders Follow?
Barclays has launched new purchase‑only mortgage products, featuring a two‑year tracker at 3.96% for Premier customers with up to 75% loan‑to‑value. Access is limited to Premier clients who hold a current account and meet income or asset thresholds of roughly...
IDC Under Scrutiny as Entrepreneurs Detail Liquidation Fallout
The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), South Africa’s state‑owned development finance institution, is facing mounting criticism after black‑owned entrepreneurs report aggressive liquidation and loan‑rejection practices. Cases such as Brewsters Craft, which received a R10 million (~$525k) loan but saw assets sold for...
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Edward Jones CD Rates: May 2026
Edward Jones offers brokered certificates of deposit (CDs) with APYs ranging from 3.85% to a peak 4.10% for a 60‑month term, well above the national average. Minimum deposits start at $1,000 and terms span 3 to 120 months, but interest...
FinCEN Proposes Reforms to AML/CFT Program Requirements
FinCEN issued a proposed rule to overhaul AML/CFT program requirements under the BSA, replacing its 2024 draft. The rule introduces a two‑pronged establishment‑versus‑maintenance framework, codifies risk‑based policies, and mandates board approval of programs across banks, casinos, MSBs and other institutions....
Santander Pulls in US Deposits While Waiting for Deal to Close
Banco Santander’s U.S. digital platform Openbank has amassed $11 billion in deposits since its October 2024 launch, helping the bank lower funding costs by roughly $150 million. In Q1, U.S. loans rose 5% year‑over‑year and return on tangible equity climbed to 11.6% from...
Dissent Shows Most Disunited Fed Since 1992
The Federal Open Market Committee left rates unchanged in April, but recorded four dissenting votes—the most since 1992—highlighting a deep split over inflation risks. The dissenters opposed both a rate cut and the Fed’s “easing bias,” signaling discomfort with any...
US and EU Sanctions Intensify Focus on Crypto Transactions : Research
Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic highlighted new U.S. and EU sanctions aimed at curbing crypto‑facilitated sanctions evasion. The U.S. Treasury’s OFAC placed two Iran‑linked Tether wallets holding about $344 million on its sanctions list, while the EU approved its 20th package banning...
AI Agents Are Streamlining Economic Activities but Traditional Banks Still Expected to Serve Key Role in Financial Services : Analysis
Circle argues that AI agents are automating core economic tasks such as payments, invoicing, and short‑term financing, creating an "agentic economy" that runs at machine speed. While the shift reduces banks' role as the primary customer interface, it simultaneously elevates...
Ex‑Rocket Exec Fawaz Launches Company, Shocks Industry with UWM, Ishbia Partnership
Mike Fawaz, a 15‑year Rocket Mortgage veteran, has launched Origna8, a new platform aimed at uniting mortgage brokers under a shared community. He announced that former Rocket executive Dan Sogorka will serve as CEO and that United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) and...
Figure Technology Solutions Reportedly Cuts Lending Costs by 117 Basis Points, Funds Loans Faster than Incumbents
Figure Technology Solutions (NASDAQ: FIGR) has leveraged its Cosmos‑based blockchain, Provenance, to shave 117 basis points off cumulative lending costs. The on‑chain architecture accelerates loan funding three to eight times faster than legacy platforms, enabling the firm to originate $17 billion...
Morningstar DBRS Discontinues Credit Rating on TD Global Legislative Covered Bonds, Series CBL41
Morningstar DBRS announced the discontinuation of its credit rating for Toronto‑Dominion Bank’s Global Legislative Covered Bond Series CBL41, citing full repayment of the issue. The rating, originally initiated in 2014, was part of the bank’s broader covered‑bond programme, which saw...
Morningstar DBRS Confirms Credit Ratings on All Classes of Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 2015-C31
Morningstar DBRS confirmed credit ratings for all remaining classes of the Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 2015‑C31, assigning BBB (high) to Class C and stable trends to the other tranches. The agency noted $589.6 million of principal paydown since its May 2025...
Bank of Canada Holds Key Rate Steady but Warns Future Movements Unclear
The Bank of Canada kept its benchmark policy rate at 2.25% for a fourth straight meeting, in line with market expectations. Governor Tiff Macklem warned that elevated uncertainty—stemming from the war in Iran and a pending Canada‑U.S‑Mexico trade review—could push rates...
Fed Split Widens as Rates Stay on Hold Amid Inflation Fears
The Federal Reserve kept its policy rate in the 3.50‑3.75% range but issued its most divided statement since 1992, with an 8‑4 vote and three officials dissenting over an easing bias. The Fed highlighted rising inflation, now described as "elevated"...
Borrower Says PHH Mortgage Forced Foreclosure with Short Sale Still Pending
A Tennessee homeowner has filed a federal lawsuit against PHH Mortgage, alleging the servicer rushed his property to foreclosure while a short‑sale offer was still pending. The complaint claims PHH engaged in illegal dual‑tracking, violating RESPA and Regulation X by setting...
Savings Rates Drop Even without Fed Cuts. Here’s Where You Can Still Earn 4% on Your Cash
The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark rate unchanged at 3.5‑3.75%, but several major banks—including Capital One, Synchrony and Marcus by Goldman Sachs—still trimmed the APYs on their high‑yield savings accounts. Ally Financial’s earlier cut signaled a broader trend, while Bread...
Japan Issues New Prepaid Cards Exclusively for Tourists
Pasmo Co is launching a Tourist Pasmo prepaid card that works for 28 days and is accepted on trains, subways, buses and many retail outlets across Japan. The card will be sold at major transport hubs, costing about $15 at...
How a Payments Fintech Uses AI to Battle Tariff Refund Chaos
Tipalti has upgraded its AI platform with agentic tools that automate reporting, tax‑form processing, purchase‑request creation, and payee onboarding. The enhancements aim to help businesses navigate the surge in tariff‑related complexities, including eligibility for refunds on roughly $166 billion of shipments...
Better Partners with Stripe to Launch Home Equity Card
Better Home & Finance unveiled the Better Home Equity Card, a prepaid Mastercard built on Stripe Issuing and Treasury. The card lets homeowners draw instantly from a home‑equity line of credit, earning 1% cashback on eligible renovation purchases. With U.S....
Loosening Bank Capital Rules Won’t Bring Banks Back to Mortgage Lending
Bank participation in U.S. mortgage origination has fallen from roughly 60% in 2008 to 35% in 2023, while non‑bank lenders have surged. Proposals to ease Basel III capital requirements, championed by Fed Vice Chair Michelle Bowman, assume tighter capital rules...
SoFi Reports Record Revenue and Loan Origination
SoFi posted a record $1.1 billion net revenue in Q1 2026, a 43% year‑over‑year jump, driven by a 68% surge in loan originations to $12.2 billion. The company kept its full‑year revenue outlook unchanged, citing an expected Fed rate‑freeze and broader macro...
Blockrise Looks to Bunq for Financial Infrastructure
European neobank bunq has gone live with its Banking‑as‑a‑Service (BaaS) platform, partnering with Bitcoin platform Blockrise to deliver Bitcoin‑friendly bank accounts. Through bunq’s Dutch banking licence, Blockrise users gain regulated fiat deposit protection up to €100,000 (about $108,000) under the...
JPMorgan Chase Deploys Generative AI Across 250,000 Employee Desktops, Reports $1.5 Billion in Savings
JPMorgan Chase rolled out its proprietary LLM Suite to roughly 250,000 employees, linking OpenAI and Anthropic models to internal data. The AI platform, used daily by half the workforce, has driven productivity gains across legal, technology, investment banking and payments,...
Market Watch 85 – Financial Conduct Authority
The Financial Conduct Authority released its latest Market Watch, outlining a series of regulatory updates aimed at strengthening oversight of crypto‑asset firms and crowdfunding platforms. New licensing requirements will force crypto businesses to meet higher capital and governance standards, while...
People Home Finance Ltd
People Home Finance Ltd is a new‑age housing finance firm in India that concentrates on affordable home loans for lower‑ and middle‑income, often self‑employed borrowers. The company leverages technology‑driven underwriting to streamline approvals and reduce paperwork. Its leadership includes MD & CEO...
Australia’s Grassroots Movement Fights to Preserve Cash Access
Australia’s grassroots “Cash Out Day” urged millions to withdraw cash, aiming to double typical ATM volume in a single day. The campaign helped drive a new cash‑acceptance mandate that obliges retailers to take cash for purchases under $500. Reserve Bank...
Community Bank (CBU) Q1 2026 Earnings Transcript
Community Bank (CBU) reported a strong start to 2026, posting 9% total revenue growth and a 17% rise in operating diluted earnings per share year‑over‑year. Net interest income reached $134.7 million, up 12.1% from the prior year, while total deposits climbed...
What’s Happening at the Federal Reserve Today.
The Senate Banking Committee voted 13‑11 to advance President Trump’s nominee Kevin M. Warsh for Federal Reserve chair, bringing his confirmation closer as Jerome Powell’s term ends May 15. At the Fed’s mid‑June policy meeting, officials are expected to keep the...
Bank Groups Eye Changes to Fed's Relaxed Capital Plans
Bank groups praised the Federal Reserve’s recent capital plan as a step forward but warned that the proposals still overstate risks for certain assets, potentially limiting banks’ ability to expand lending. The Fed’s March package would modestly lower capital requirements...
Eye on Point of Sale: MoneyGram Adopts Stripe for Retail Locations; Lightspeed Divests Upserve
MoneyGram will modernize its roughly 500,000 global retail locations by adopting Stripe’s point‑of‑sale hardware and digital payment options, including tap‑to‑pay, pay‑by‑link and QR codes. The partnership gives MoneyGram’s cash‑first customers more ways to fund transfers and promises faster, more connected...
2026 Top 10 Digital Financial Services Growth Opportunities Report: Creating Monetization Models and Enhancing Customer Experiences in B2B and Consumer...
ResearchAndMarkets.com released its 2026 Top 10 Growth Opportunities in Digital Financial Services report, highlighting the fusion of real‑time payments, embedded finance and banking‑as‑a‑service as a catalyst for new monetization models. API‑driven ecosystems now allow non‑financial apps to embed lending, KYC and...
Visa Looks to Expansion in Stablecoins And Agentic Commerce
Visa announced a major expansion of its stablecoin and agentic commerce initiatives. The network added five new blockchains—Arc, Base, Canton, Polygon and Tempo—bringing its supported platforms to nine, after its stablecoin pilot reached a $7 billion annualized settlement run rate, a...
RBI Allows Banks to Extend Relief Measures to Borrowers without Their Requests in Disaster-Hit Areas
The Reserve Bank of India issued revised disaster‑relief guidelines that become effective on July 1, 2026, allowing banks to proactively extend relief measures to borrowers in calamity‑hit areas without waiting for a request. Relief options include fee waivers, temporary branches, mobile banking...
Amex Pushes for Agentic Standards
American Express announced it will lead the payments industry toward a shared standard for agentic commerce, introducing the first consumer‑protective framework for AI‑driven transactions. The company’s new policy shields cardholders from charges caused by erroneous AI agents, while emphasizing authenticated...
Bank of Canada Makes Interest Rate Decision
The Bank of Canada left its overnight policy rate unchanged at 2.25% as inflation rebounded to 2.4% in March, driven by a spike in energy prices linked to the US‑Israeli conflict and the Strait of Hormuz closure. Unemployment held steady...
Visa CEO Envisions Stablecoin, Agentic Benefit
Visa CEO Ryan McInerney said the company will treat stablecoin and emerging agentic commerce transactions with the same unit economics as its traditional card business. By building a "bridge layer" through Visa‑as‑a‑Service, Visa aims to capture revenue from digital wallets...
Barclay Family Avoids Bankruptcy After Deal with HSBC over £143m Debt
The Barclay family avoided bankruptcy after HSBC withdrew petitions tied to a £143.5 million (≈ $182 million) debt by agreeing to an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA). The brothers, who lost control of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph in 2023 over £1.16 billion (≈ $1.47 billion) owed...
The EBA Publishes Its Final Guidelines on Supervisory Independence
The European Banking Authority released final Guidelines on Supervisory Independence under the Capital Requirements Directive. The rules introduce EU‑wide standards for managing conflicts of interest, covering declarations of interest, trading bans, and cooling‑off periods. They also tighten appointment and tenure...
Zeller Enters UK Market to Challenge Legacy SME Payments and Save Merchants £5.2bn
Australian fintech Zeller has entered the UK market, offering an integrated payments and financial services platform to the country’s 5.7 million SMEs. The launch follows a study indicating £22.7 billion (≈$28 billion) of payments are at risk due to legacy checkout friction, and...