Viewpoint: Is Faster EMV the Best Solution?
As MasterCard and Visa work to enable quicker EMV transactions, could new technology leapfrog EMV by providing a better experience at the POS?
Analysis
Viewpoint: As Apple Stumbles, Apple Pay Shines Brightly
Is the sky really falling for Apple, which missed its Q2 earning mark, as some analysts predict? Another view points to Apple Pay and other services from the hardware giant as growth drivers for the future.
Viewpoint: What’s Next for Tokens?
Anti-fraud tokenization technology stands to gain more attention and use in the U.S. as the mobile wallet wars develop and new specifications are issued.
Infographics: The world of e-commerce
Did you know that in the Netherlands 54% of all transactions are carried out using the iDEAL online banking system? Or that Germans prefer to pay on account via direct debit and the popularity of e-wallets is growing in Russia? ‘The world of e-commerce’ reveals the three most popular e-commerce payment methods across 22 countries […]
Rep. Salmon’s Bill Latest to Push ID Requirements for Tax Refund Prepaid Cards
A U.S. Congressman from Arizona is the latest lawmaker to set his sights on prepaid cards in a bid to combat the growth of tax refund fraud. Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.) recently introduced a bill that would ban tax refunds from being loaded onto a prepaid card unless the identity of the accountholder has been “verified by an office or employee of the Department of the Treasury.”
Federal Reserve Proposes Bank Executive Compensation Rule
The Federal Reserve Board seeks input on a proposed rule that could limit incentive-based executive compensation based on risk-taking behavior by banks. The move stems from the Dodd-Frank Act and comments are due July 22.
How do MARket participants justify surveillance spend in an era of cost cutting?
With MiFID II now confirmed and MAR just around the corner, Dave Tolladay of Alerts4 Financial Markets examines the key questions facing financial institutions having to increase trade surveillance monitoring spend while reducing costs. Between €500 and €700 million – that’s the estimated one-off compliance cost to be imposed on financial firms carrying out a […]
IRS Security Summit Makes Progress; Calls for New Members
The fight against tax refund fraud was part of the discussion at the recently concluded NBPCA Power of Prepaid conference, where the IRS commissioner talked about the public-private partnership designed to boost security.
FTC Investigating Venmo for ‘Deceptive or Unfair Practices’
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Venmo, the popular P2P payment app owned by PayPal Inc. In its quarterly earnings report, PayPal said it received a Civil Investigative Demand from the FTC on March 28, as part of an investigation into whether PayPal through its Venmo service is “engaged in deceptive or unfair practices,” according to the filing.
Get off our patch – no room for fintech fakery
A search for fintech now returns nearly ten million results – astounding, when you consider the first searches were recorded in 2005. But how many of those results focus on, or indeed are sourced from fintech innovators in the truest sense of the word, asks Philippe Gelis, CEO and co-founder Kantox. The reality is that fintech is […]
CFPB Snapshot: Prepaid Complaints Tick up in March, but Remain Low
The CFPB’s latest monthly consumer complaint snapshot showed a slight increase in prepaid-related consumer complaints in March, but prepaid remains the subject of just a fraction of overall complaints received by the agency.
Reporting under Basel III: avoiding past mistakes
In a world where prudential regulatory rules are interlinked the old temptation to explore one regulatory development at a time is damaging. Regulatory reporting, and the technological systems behind it, need to adapt if we are to avoid past mistakes, writes Selwyn Blair-Ford, head of global regulatory policy at Wolters Kluwer. Here’s a scenario that […]
FDIC Approves New Assessment Rule for Small Banks
The FDIC board of directors has approved a rule that changes how banks with less than $10 billion in assets and have been FDIC insured for at least five years are assessed for deposit insurance.
Infographics: seizing the mPOS opportunity
Mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) is revolutionising the POS terminal industry. In two years, the market is estimated to be worth $43 billion. By 2019, 46% of all POS terminals in 2019 are expected to be mPOS. Over the next four years, the market is poised to grow by 400%. This nifty infographics – courtesy of FIME – […]
CFPB Schedules Arbitration Hearing for May 5, Proposed Rule to Come?
The CFPB has scheduled a field hearing on arbitration clauses in Albuquerque, N.M., on May 5 at 11 a.m., MDT. Experts are anticipating the hearing will be the forum for the bureau to release its proposed rule on arbitration, and industry groups are bracing for restrictions or an outright ban on arbitration clauses in financial services contracts.
Biometrics: the road less travelled on the customer journey
Biometric security in the financial services sector has finally reached the tipping point many have been anticipating since Apple launched its fingerprint recognition technology one whole iPhone generation ago. We recently saw the first of the major banks to announce that both fingerprint and voice recognition technology will be viable account login options for millions […]
Viewpoint: Fraud Quiver Requires More than One Arrow
If you want to fight fraud in the corporate and government sector—or any sector—you need many tools. And, you may have to educate clients that no one tool is the solution.
Viewpoint: The Gamification of Financial Services
Gamification is not new, but new entrants are showing that injecting the right mix of fun and rewards into financial education can reap dividends for consumers and financial services providers seeking to engage their customers.
Viewpoint: Fintech: The Great Equalizer
We’re bombarded daily with reports that fintech firms are poised to eat the banks’ lunch. The drumbeat is so loud and steady, it’s hard not to fall into the trap of thinking that banks’ best days are behind them. But, I believe the proliferation of fintech solutions presents a remarkable opportunity for small and midsize financial institutions.
When banks leave the front door open
Cyber attacks against the banking industry have soared in the last few years. And financial institutions now face 300% more attacks than any other industry. Comparatively with other industries, the financial services industry isn’t shy where it comes to cyber security investment and generally has a superior level of protection. But this attracts a more […]
Democratic Reps. Back Prepaid Overdraft in Letter to CFPB
Three Democrats are asking CFPB Director Richard Corday for an overdraft exemption as the agency finalizes its prepaid rules.
CFPB Report Blasts Payday Lenders over Bank Fees
In advance of the CFPB’s proposed rule on payday loans, the bureau has released a new report critical of payday lenders’ practice of debiting borrowers’ checking accounts, which often leads to overdrafts, penalty fees and account closures, while failing to actually recover payments, according to the report, which is based on data from more than 330 lenders.
U.S. House Passes Oversight Bill for Two Financial Regulators
The Financial Stability Council Reform Act would give Congress funding power over the Financial Stability Oversight Council and the Treasury Department’s Office of Financial Research, which keep track of financial risks and conduct other research.
Infographics: ten facts you didn’t know about mobile banking
Here are ten facts you (possibly) did not know about mobile banking. But now you do, with the help of this nifty infographics, courtesy of Shinobicontrols.
Cash continues as the only option – but hold the phone, don’t you recognise me?
As I waited today for the barista to fill my coffee order I picked up the local newspaper; jumping right off the page was the headline, “9 Businesses that are still cash only”! (This was a reference to an article by Laura Woods on the Go Banking Rates website on 2 April 2016.) Of course, […]
Card Forum: Experts Look ahead to CFPB Final Prepaid Rule
With the CFPB expected to release its long-awaited final rule on prepaid accounts sometime in the coming months, industry experts peered into their crystal balls last week during a panel discussion at Card Forum in Los Angeles, delivering predictions about the timing and potential effects of the looming regulation.
Report: Mobile Wallets in Fraudsters’ Crosshairs
Mobile wallets could be a vulnerable target for fraud, and concerns over wallet security could inhibit adoption, especially among certain consumers segments, a new report warns.
Testing times: solving the cost conundrum in a disrupted market
Doing more with less is an important goal for any business. In the world of banking, an increasingly complex market is driving firms to uncover new ways to deliver cost efficiencies, writes Peter Gould, associate partner at Orbium. Growing competition from specialist providers continues to disrupt the traditional banking model. These firms are using new […]
UK businesses are frustrated by delayed business payments so where is the broken cog?
Almost half (48%) of SMEs in the UK are frustrated by payments taking too long to reach their bank account, a survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of ACI has found this week. The businesses surveyed also state that these delays are negatively affecting their ability to run their business. A third of the SMEs […]
Europe Boosts Potential Costs of Data Breaches
The European Parliament approves new rules that can lead to fat fines related to data breaches and digital privacy violations.
Will regulation be a blessing or a blow for Bitcoin?
The European Commission (EC) wants to update the fourth Anti-Money Laundering directive so that it also covers virtual currencies, such as Bitcoin. In the UK, the Treasury has followed suit by announcing plans to subject virtual currency exchanges to the same regulations as banks. This isn’t surprising. Gunnar Nordseth, CEO and co-founder of Signicat, muses over the possible […]
CFPB Fills Leadership Posts
On April 12, the CFPB announced the addition of several new members to leadership positions within the bureau for the external affairs division; the consumer education and engagement division; the student loan ombudsman and Office for Students and Young Consumers; the Office of Small Business Lending; the Office of Consumer Response; and the Office of Supervision Examinations.
FDIC: Non-Malicious Hack Involved 44,000 Consumers
The federal agency talks down a data breach that stemmed from an employee inadvertently downloading information about bank customers onto a portable storage device.
Infographics: Video banking – it’s on
Video banking has finally reached inflection point, according to Efma and Vidyo Inc. The two companies have carried out the research, “which uncovered massive support for video banking among financial organisations worldwide”. Nearly 80% of all banks surveyed plan to offer video-enabled banking services. Check out this nifty infographics (courtesy of Efma and Vidyo) on all […]
Delaware Unveils Blockchain Initiative
The Delaware Blockchain Initiative demonstrates the state’s commitment to ensuring this remains the case for the growing blockchain technology sector.
FTC Chair: More Security Needed for Internet of Things
Edith Ramirez says Congress will have to craft laws to protect all the data and activities that stem from Web-connected appliances, cars and other devices. She also urges the industry to better protect that data.
Building consumer trust – a major challenge for newcomer banks
The challengers aiming to take on the traditional high street banks are themselves facing an enormous obstacle if they are to disrupt the banking market significantly, observes Zehra Chudry, organiser of the “Challengers versus Legacy Banks” debate at PayExpo Europe 2016. This hurdle is building consumer trust. Not only must they offer powerfully attractive alternatives and improvements, they must also convince consumers […]
Industry Views: The Risky Business of Payments
With the threat of cybercrime growing considerably, we canvassed top payments providers and data security consultants to find out what they see as the biggest cyber-risks, and what steps companies should take to help keep consumer data—and the financial system—safe.
Viewpoint: What the Contactless EMV Push in the U.K. Means for the U.S.
As contactless EMV transactions become mainstream in the U.K., the trends could foreshadow what’s ahead for U.S. payments.
It’s time for payments infrastructures to change
There’s no doubt about it, fintech is a force to be reckoned with, and the UK has positioned itself convincingly as the global capital. Speaking at an event only last month, Economic Secretary, Harriett Baldwin, commented on how fintech is “helping normal people in their daily lives” by giving them extra choices when it comes […]
