Features


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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

CFPB Reports on Complaints from Military Community, Prepaid Remains Low

The CFPB has released its annual report on complaints received by the agency from military servicemembers, veterans and their families. Prepaid comprised just 1 percent of complaints from the military community—mirroring the tiny fraction of prepaid complaints to the CFPB from the general public.

Platformification: all together now

Platformification – what is it and why do banks need to know about it? Hans Tesselaar, executive director at Banking Industry Architecture Network (BIAN), explores the issue. When alternative fintech players first established themselves in the financial services industry, they raised their profile by collectively bashing the banks – positioning themselves as a more transparent, […]

Consumer payments: the contactless landscape

Nick Kerigan, managing director of future payments at Barclaycard, lends his expert view on the changing consumer payment landscape and maps the journey to contactless card payments and beyond. Kerigan leads the team that looks at payment and competitor intelligence, and is responsible for driving innovation across Barclaycard. Last year was a milestone in UK […]

Reference data management: utility is the future

So here is a major headache for the treasury and capital markets industry: the cost line remains dead flat but the revenue line has dropped off the cliff. Utility is the answer to the market woes, strongly believes Philippe Chambadal, CEO of SmartStream Technologies. He talks to Tanya Andreasyan about SmartStream’s initiative in this space. […]

Blockchain: why smart contracts need shrewder people

“I’ve forgotten – woe is me! What the magic word may be.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (1797) How smart is your code? So-called “smart contracts” are science fiction realised. Executable pieces of code stored on a mutual distributed ledger for future execution bind people and payments to actions and outcomes. Computer scientist […]

IRS Releases New Data on ID Theft Fraud

As the IRS and industry continue to fight identity theft-related tax refund fraud, the agency’s Criminal Investigation Program initiated 776 investigations into ID theft fraud during the 2015 fiscal year, according to the IRS’s newly released 2015 Data Book.

IRS Issues Advice on Deferring Gift Card Income

The IRS has concluded that a company can defer the recognition of advance payment income received from the sale of unredeemed gift cards that are redeemable for goods or services for up to two years.

DOJ Drops Case against Apple over iPhone Access

The U.S. Department of Justice has dropped its legal claim against Apple Inc. over the FBI’s request that the tech company help unlock the iPhone of one of the shooters in last year’s attacks in San Bernardino, Calif. According to a court filing, the FBI was able to access the device without Apple’s assistance.

Infographics: global fintech landscape

Want to see the global fintech landscape summed up in an easy on the eye and effortless to digest infographics? You have come to the right place – this excellent infographics has it all, from the hottest start-ups today and those to watch in 2016 to the most supportive countries and governments as well as top investors. […]

Judge Rules that Radio Shack Gift Card Holder Won’t Get Legal Fees Paid

A Radio Shack gift card holder’s motion to get his legal fees and expenses paid first in the electronics retailer’s Chapter 11 case has been denied. Consumers with Radio Shack gift cards may file a claim by Dec. 2, 2016and if the claim is judged to be valid, claimants will receive 100 percent of the card balance, according to the Website.

FTC Investigates PCI Audits

Legal experts suggest that the investigation could provide insight on how the FTC might seek to influence the audit process going forward.

Myth-Busting on Expanding into Europe

Craig James, CEO of London-based compliance consultancy Neopay, delivered a talk at the All Payments Expo in New Orleans on March 22 to help companies eyeing Europe as an international expansion market.

Federal Agencies Issue Guidance on Prepaid CIP

Federal financial institution regulatory agencies on March 21 issued guidance clarifying the applicability of the Customer Identification Program (CIP) rule to prepaid cards issued by banks.

Infographics: the most exciting thing about bitcoin isn’t bitcoin

Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, but the blockchain protocol behind it can be used for a variety of non-currency purposes. People are using the blockchain to develop everything from ride-sharing services to voting applications to cloud storage. This nifty infographics sums up how the blockchain protocol works and how it’s being used. Source: Who is hosting this?

Industry: Report on Tax Refund Delays Misses Mark

A recent report claiming that heightened anti-tax fraud efforts have led to taxpayers suffering delays in receiving refunds via prepaid cards mischaracterizes the situation, industry observers say.

Viewpoint: What’s the Best Route to Market in Europe?

Europe is the largest single market in the world and an attractive proposition for most payments businesses looking to expand, but you do need to look at the different options available and determine the best route to market for your own firm.

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