Experts Celebrate White House Reversal on Bank Citizenship EO
Banking experts welcomed the White House’s decision to delay a Trump administration proposal that would have required banks to collect customers’ citizenship information. The mandate, seen as an extension of immigration enforcement into financial regulation, raised concerns about massive customer attrition and costly system overhauls. Treasury has already lowered transaction reporting thresholds to $200 in 30 border ZIP codes and expanded geographic targeting orders. The postponement alleviates immediate operational burdens but leaves the policy’s future uncertain.
How Community Banks Can Get in on Stablecoins
Bank of North Dakota is launching Roughrider Coin, a stablecoin designed for wholesale, bank‑to‑bank payments, in partnership with Fiserv’s digital‑asset platform. The initiative demonstrates how a state‑owned, mid‑tier bank can create an instant payment rail without building the technology from scratch....
Leaders: Regional Banks in Today's Economy: M&T CEO Rene Jones
In a recent interview, M&T Bank CEO Rene Jones outlined how regional banks are navigating a higher‑interest‑rate environment and tighter credit conditions. He highlighted M&T’s focus on disciplined loan growth, bolstering deposit stability, and accelerating digital transformation to improve cost...
Community Bank CFO Convicted of Trying to Defraud Two Lenders
Former Bank of the Valley CFO Aaron Luneke was convicted of bank fraud and attempted fraud after securing $7.8 million in loans using fabricated contractor invoices. The scheme defrauded his own Nebraska bank ($4.3 million) and Minnesota’s Stearns Bank ($3.5 million) through shell...
Agentic AI Shopping Bots Are Coming. Banks Need to Be Ready
Agentic AI shopping bots from firms like Google, Amazon and Visa are poised to execute purchases and payments on behalf of consumers, thrusting banks into a new risk landscape. Existing charge‑back rules under Reg E and Reg Z may not apply, leaving...
Trump Push on RON Faces Real-World Limits
President Trump’s executive order pushes for broader use of digital mortgages, electronic signatures and remote online notarization (RON). While RON is already permitted in 48 states, many jurisdictions retain temporary authorizations and lenders balk at the extra cost of parallel...
Scott: Yield Compromise Could Arrive by the End of the Week
Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott said a compromise on the crypto market‑structure bill could be in hand by the end of the week. The dispute centers on banks’ demand to bar crypto firms from offering yield‑like rewards on stablecoins,...
FDIC Mulling Guardrails for Banks, Public Blockchains
The FDIC has rolled back its 2022 guidance that limited banks from interacting with public, permissionless blockchains, signaling a more permissive stance under Chair Travis Hill. Hill indicated that while the agency will focus on implementing the GENIUS Act, it...
UBS Nears Full Credit Suisse Integration by Finishing IT Project
UBS has finished migrating roughly 1.2 million former Credit Suisse clients onto its own platforms, marking a pivotal step in the three‑year integration that began after the 2023 rescue acquisition. The bank now enters the final integration phase, focusing on decommissioning...
What Happens when You Use ChatGPT to Sell Your Home?
A South Florida homeowner, Robert Levine, sold his house using ChatGPT for marketing copy, pricing guidance, and document drafting, claiming cost savings. Real‑estate brokers and loan officers cautioned that AI cannot replace the nuanced negotiation and emotional intelligence of licensed...
Fed Inquiry Into Checks Has Bankers Fearing 'Disaster'
Community bankers are warning that the Federal Reserve’s request for information on the future of its check‑clearing services could lead to an abrupt shutdown of the system, harming elderly, rural customers and small businesses that still rely on paper checks....
White House Order to Increase Small Bank Mortgage Lending
The White House issued an executive order directing the CFPB and banking regulators to tailor mortgage rules for community banks, aiming to revive small‑bank participation in mortgage lending. The order follows a bipartisan Senate housing bill but highlights the House’s...
Enforcement Is Down Under Trump. Is that a Problem?
Bank‑level enforcement actions by the FDIC, OCC, Fed and NCUA fell 55% from 116 in 2024 to 52 in 2025, with quarterly new cases dropping from 20 to just two. At the same time, terminated actions more than doubled, reaching...
As Charge-Backs Spike, Banks Should Avoid These 5 Missteps
Charge‑backs are accelerating, with Datos Insights forecasting 359 million disputes by 2029 and an average dispute value rising 16% to $251. Each U.S. dispute costs banks $9‑10 to process, translating into billions of annual expenses. Banks frequently err by rubber‑stamping claims,...
Fannie, Freddie Share Sale Likely After Midterms or Later
Wedbush analysts say any secondary share offering by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will likely be delayed until after the 2026 midterm elections, as the administration focuses on lowering mortgage costs. Low trading prices—around $5.88 for Fannie and $5.16 for Freddie—combined...
Inside the World of 'PayPal's AG'
PayPal’s global financial‑crime chief, David Szuchman, leverages his two‑decade law‑enforcement background to counter a 600% surge in fraud attacks that threaten the fintech’s trillion‑dollar transaction flow. The company has integrated AI that evaluates over 500 data points and launched an...
Zelle Ventures Into Charitable Disbursements with Bank of America
Zelle has partnered with Bank of America to launch a charitable‑disbursement service for donor‑advised funds, replacing slow ACH and check processes with instant transfers. The proof‑of‑concept uses BofA’s Charitable Gift Fund, which last year distributed over $1.3 billion through more than...
War in Middle East May Press Pause on Bank Deal Boom
Bank merger‑and‑acquisition activity surged in 2025, but the war in Iran has introduced sharp stock‑price volatility that threatens to stall the consolidation wave. Falling bank‑stock values erode the equity currency traditionally used to fund deals, pushing pricing down and making...
Mastercard Boosts Agentic Commerce, Adds Crypto Network
Mastercard announced two strategic moves to broaden its revenue beyond card fees: a live agentic commerce test in Malaysia using its Agent Pay platform, and the launch of a global Crypto Partner Program that enlists over 85 cryptocurrency firms. The AI‑driven...
These Housing Markets Face the Greatest Risk of Decline
Attom’s latest housing‑risk report finds Florida leading the nation with 16 counties among the 50 most vulnerable, overtaking California’s 11. The analysis flags rising foreclosures, stagnant wages, and historically high median home prices—now $365,185—as key stressors. Charlotte County, Florida, tops...
OCC's Gould Fleshes Out Goals for Core Provider Review
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is deepening its fact‑finding on the highly concentrated core banking‑software market, where three vendors serve more than 70% of banks. Comptroller Jonathan Gould said the agency is engaging both banks and...
UBS Hits Impasse in Federal Court over Nazi-Era Controversy
UBS asked a federal judge to issue a clarifying order that the 1999 settlement with Jewish groups bars any new lawsuits or public statements about its predecessor Credit Suisse’s Nazi‑era activities. The hearing in Brooklyn ended without a ruling, as...
Nubank Hires Former TikTok Executive as Marketing Director
Nubank appointed Kim Farrell, former TikTok global head of creators, as its new global marketing director. The hire comes as the Brazilian neobank prepares to launch U.S. operations under a recently approved de novo charter. Farrell will craft branding and partnership...
A Texas Banking Entrepreneur Makes Deal to Start Third Act
Dean Bass, a veteran Texas banker, is leading a group to acquire Lone Star Bank, a $191 million‑asset community bank with four Houston‑area branches. Bass previously built Spirit of Texas Bank into a $3.3 billion institution before selling it for $581 million in...
OCC's Gould Doubles Down on State Preemption
Comptroller Jonathan Gould reaffirmed the OCC's commitment to federal preemption of state banking rules, citing the agency’s Lincoln‑era origins. He announced an aggressive filing strategy of amicus briefs and court filings to solidify the OCC’s legal position. Gould dismissed criticism...
Zions' Revamped Tech Leadership Team Eyes AI, Stablecoins
Zions Bancorp has restructured its technology leadership after longtime CTO Jennifer Smith departed, assigning CIO Margaret Mayer and chief transformation officer Ken Collins to jointly run the enterprise technology unit. The bank completed a decade‑long core systems modernization in 2024,...
Advocates Urge Judge to Block $68m Colony Ridge Settlement
Eight civil‑rights nonprofits have filed an amicus brief urging a Texas federal judge to block a $68 million DOJ‑Colony Ridge settlement. The deal would allocate $48 million to flood‑control infrastructure but diverts $20 million to fund immigration‑enforcement police resources, with no direct restitution...
The Fed Wants to Let a Dangerous Asset Loose on Bank Balance Sheets
The Federal Reserve has proposed three adjustments to how banks treat mortgage loans and mortgage servicing rights (MSRs) under capital rules. While the new loan‑to‑value risk‑weight buckets and a review of the 250% MSR risk weight align with Basel principles,...
Clinton Alum Eugene Ludwig Courts Banks for Stablecoin Alternative
Eugene Ludwig, former Clinton cabinet official, founded Cari to create a bank‑centric network for tokenized deposits that are FDIC‑insured and faster than traditional transfers. The startup has secured five regional banks—KeyCorp, Huntington, Old National, First Horizon and M&T—as design partners...
'Carpetbagging' Out of State Banks Are a Drain on Florida's Resources
Florida’s rapid population growth is straining highways, schools, and water systems while driving an acute affordable‑housing crisis. Out‑of‑state and branchless banks are harvesting more than $200 billion in deposits from Floridians but reinvest only a fraction locally, exacerbating the shortage of...
It's a Wonderful Life (as Long as You've Got a Job)
A new Federal Reserve study of U.S. bank failures from the Civil War through 1934 finds that bank runs are typically the final trigger for already insolvent institutions, while well‑capitalized banks can weather runs. Meanwhile, the latest macro data show...
Why Do Banks Fail? Study Finds Insolvency Is the True Killer
A new NBER study of over 4,000 bank runs from 1863‑1934 finds that insolvency, not liquidity, is the primary driver of bank failures. Solvent institutions rarely collapsed even when faced with massive withdrawals, while loss‑making banks turned runs into terminal...
A Community-Bank Director Quits with a Parting Blast
Glen Herrick, a senior advisor and former CFO, resigned from MVB Financial’s board after just 14 months, publicly criticizing the bank’s executive‑compensation structure and lack of focus on recurring earnings. His departure is one of only four outspoken director resignations...
OCC's GENIUS Implementation Draft Rule Keeps Yield on the Table
The OCC has issued a draft implementation rule for the GENIUS Act that establishes a rebuttable presumption that stablecoin issuers and their affiliates may not pay interest or yield on payment stablecoins. While the language appears to ban direct yield,...
Will Trump Scramble Santander's Plan to Buy Webster?
Banco Santander’s $12.3 billion bid to acquire U.S. regional bank Webster Financial is now under pressure after President Donald Trump announced he would cut off trade with Spain. The political spat, sparked by Spain’s refusal to allow U.S. military use of...
Edward Jones Gets Green Light to Launch Industrial Bank
Edward Jones has secured conditional approval from the FDIC and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions to launch Edward Jones Bank, an industrial loan company slated for early 2027. The new bank will accept deposits and issue certificates of deposit,...
Banks Need to Rethink How They Train Staff to Fight Financial Crime
Banks are confronting a financial‑crime threat that evolves faster than their compliance training cycles. The profession suffers from a thin talent pipeline, with most hires arriving mid‑career and no standardized academic path. Current training is static, annual, and siloed, while...
Banks Need to Choose Carefully Between Public and Private Blockchains
Stellar’s CEO warns banks that choosing between private and public blockchain infrastructures will create lasting path dependencies. With the tokenized real‑world‑asset market valued around $33 billion, banks are already piloting blockchain‑based settlement and fund tokenization. The article outlines three critical questions—who...
Washington's FS Bancorp to Enter Portland with Deal
Washington‑based FS Bancorp announced a $34.6 million cash‑and‑stock deal to acquire Pacific West Bank, giving its 1st Security Bank subsidiary a foothold in the Portland market. The four‑branch target adds $386 million in assets, expanding the combined institution to roughly $3.6 billion. This...
Exclusive: Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan FHLB Bond Bill
Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D‑NV) and Todd Young (R‑IN) introduced the Municipal Investment and Neighborhood Transformation (MINT) Act, restoring a 2008 authority that lets Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) members issue tax‑exempt bonds for community‑development projects. The bill expands the...
Permissibility Is the Real Prize for Banks in Crypto Bill
The U.S. market‑structure bill’s permissibility section would formally allow banks and their holding companies to own and transact in digital assets, effectively expanding the range of activities deemed permissible under the National Bank Act. Critics argue that simply placing an...
Citigroup Strikes Banamex Stake Sales with Blackstone, BTG
Citigroup announced the sale of an additional 24% stake in its Mexican retail bank, Grupo Financiero Banamex, for roughly $2.5 billion. The shares were bought by a consortium that includes Blackstone, General Atlantic, Brazil's BTG Pactual and Mexico's Afore Sura, among others. The...
M&T Says Tricolor-Related Lawsuit Could Lead to Losses
M&T Bank’s Wilmington Trust subsidiary is defending a New York lawsuit alleging it failed to fulfill custodial duties for several Tricolor‑related trusts. Plaintiffs claim the bank breached contracts and fiduciary obligations, seeking unspecified damages, interest and fees. M&T reports that...
Medallion Stresses Home Improvement to Drive 2026 Growth
Medallion Financial, the former taxi‑medallion lender, is pivoting to accelerate home‑improvement loan growth, aiming for mid‑teens percentage expansion in 2026. The strategy is anchored by hiring veteran consumer lender Joel Cannon from Regions Financial to lead a dedicated home‑improvement team....
Global Payments' Turnaround Gets Off on the Right Foot
Global Payments reported fourth‑quarter net revenue of $2.3 billion, a 6 % year‑over‑year increase, while net income fell to $217.5 million, missing consensus forecasts. The results sparked a 13 % surge in the stock as the company completed its Worldpay acquisition and announced a...
Warren Warns Fed, Treasury Against Crypto Bailout
Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell demanding a written commitment that the government will not bail out the crypto industry. She cited Bitcoin’s roughly 50%...
Banks that Won on Deposit Growth in 2025 Got Boost From M&A
Regional banks with $10‑$100 billion in assets leveraged mergers and acquisitions to outpace the broader market in 2025, boosting core deposits by more than 8% versus the industry’s 4% average. The 27 midsize lenders that completed deals saw a collective 29%...
Olympics Boost Spending in Italy; UK Banks Push Visa, Mastercard Rival
U.K. banks, led by Barclays, are convening to fund a home‑grown payment network aimed at reducing reliance on Visa and Mastercard, which dominate 95% of the non‑cash market. Visa data shows the Milano‑Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics sparked a sharp surge...
NY AG Issues Alert on Crypto-Based Pig Butchering Scams
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert warning that crypto‑based pig‑butchering scams are targeting New Yorkers through romance and professional ruses. The scams involve coaches who instruct victims to lie to bank staff, making fraud detection difficult....
OCC Proposes New Appeal Process for Banks, Trusts
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has proposed a new appeals board that would review supervisory decisions using a de novo “fresh look” standard. The rule expands appeal rights to uninsured institutions such as national trust banks and...
