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☆ US regulators are looking at potential ‘bait and switch’ schemes with airline-affiliated credit card reward points
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —If you use a points-and-rewards credit card offered by an airline in partnership with a big bank, how much are the points you’ve accrued worth in dollars? The terms and conditions of such card programs can be confusing and in some instances they can be changed at any time. “For many families looking to finance a trip or a vacation, those [credit card] benefits are really valuable. “[But] our review of all the fine print suggests that credit card companies and airlines have the power to quickly and dramatically devalue those points by making it more challenging to redeem them. Such a drop in revenue, banks argue, could jeopardize the availability of rewards programs.

Persons: you’re, It’s, ”, Rohit Chopra, Chopra, Transportation Peter Buttigieg, Rob Nichols, ” Nichols, Nichols, Jaret, Seiberg, Biden, Trump Organizations: New, New York CNN, Department of Transportation, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Transportation, American Bankers Association, Cowen Washington Research Group Locations: New York, CFPB, U.S

Signage is seen at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 29, 2020. U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker ruled in favor of the groups on Friday, saying the Dodd–Frank Act, which created the CFPB, treats discrimination and unfairness as distinct concepts. The CFPB in March 2022 announced that it would examine consumer financial institutions' practices for illegal discrimination as part of its broader mandate to combat unfair practices. The industry groups said the CFPB unlawfully stretched that mandate to include discrimination, expanding its authority beyond existing fair lending laws. The industry groups argued that the CFPB acted arbitrarily by scrutinizing "disparate impacts" on consumers.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, District Judge J, Campbell Barker, Dodd, Frank, Rob Nichols, Jody Godoy, Andy Sullivan, Mark Porter Organizations: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Consumer Financial, U.S . Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, American Bankers Association, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, U.S, District Judge, Circuit, Supreme, Commerce, Court, Eastern District of Texas, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, U.S, Texas, Eastern District, New York

The new requirement would bring large regional banks more in line with the largest global banks, which already have their own debt requirement. The proposal follows a tumultuous spring for regional banks, which saw three collapse, forcing regulators to backstop deposits to stave off a broader panic. The proposal would mean banks have to raise their long-term debt issuance by roughly 25%, or $70 billion, according to the FDIC. “These banks will have to go into the market issuing capital to meet the capital proposal and then issuing long-term debt to meet the long-term debt proposal," said Matthew Bisanz, a partner at Mayer Brown. The proposed rules were approved by the FDIC at a meeting Tuesday, giving the industry the opportunity to critique the approach.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Martin Gruenberg, Matthew Bisanz, Mayer Brown, Gruenberg, JPMorgan Chase, Ian Katz, ” Rob Nichols, Pete Schroeder, Megan Davies, Philippa Fletcher, Andrea Ricci Organizations: First Republic Bank, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, FDIC, Financial Services Group Inc, Fifth Third Bancorp, Citizens Financial, Silicon Valley Bank, JPMorgan, FDIC's, Insurance Fund, Capital Alpha Partners, Federal Reserve, American Bankers Association, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, Silicon

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - A top U.S. banking regulator is set on Tuesday to propose heightened rules to ensure regional banks can be safely dissolved in times of stress. Now, regulators are looking to toughen their rules, particularly for regional banks like PNC Financial Services Group Inc and Citizens Financial Group Inc."The failure of three large regional banks this spring...demonstrated clearly the risk to financial stability that large regional banks can pose," said FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg in a speech earlier this month previewing the proposals. The regulator is also set to propose an overhaul to "living will" rules for banks, which require firms to detail how they could be safely taken apart after failing. As banks failed last spring, the FDIC was unable to find immediate buyers for some firms, such as Silicon Valley Bank. The banking industry is already pushing back against the upcoming proposal and similar efforts, calling them unjustified and economically harmful.

Persons: Martin Gruenberg, Kevin Lamarque, Gruenberg, JPMorgan Chase, Ian Katz, ”, Rob Nichols, Pete Schroeder, Megan Davies, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Deposit Insurance, Financial, Valley Bank, Signature Bank, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Financial Services Group Inc, Citizens Financial, Inc, FDIC, Silicon Valley Bank, First Republic Bank, JPMorgan, FDIC’s, Insurance Fund, Capital Alpha Partners, American Bankers Association, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Silicon

☆ Federal Reserve officially launches new FedNow instant-payments service
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Federal Reserve launched its FedNow instant-payments service Thursday, following several years of developing a system officials say will allow the faster flow of cash for businesses and individuals. "The Federal Reserve built the FedNow Service to help make everyday payments over the coming years faster and more convenient," Fed Chair Jerome Powell said. The American Bankers Association said it welcomes the FedNow developments, noting that the central bank joins the Clearing House, which put its payments service online in 2017, as two major providers in the space. There are still some outstanding questions about FedNow, such as whether banks will charge for the service. As FedNow goes online, Fed officials are studying the implementation of a central bank digital currency, with some saying they think FedNow could mitigate the need for a CBDC.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Wells, Rob Nichols, FedNow Organizations: Federal Reserve, Service, JPMorgan Chase, American Bankers Association, ABA Locations: U.S, Wells Fargo

☆ Banks ask SEC to stop short-seller attacks on their stocks driven by social-media speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A leading banking group called for the SEC to do more to stop speculative short selling in bank stocks. The American Banking Section said social-media speculation about banks was disconnected from their financial reality. "ABA is, however, unalterably opposed to short selling practices that distort the markets through manipulation and abuse," he said. Nichols called for the SEC to take a clearer stance against what he called market manipulation and abusive short selling practices. "The harm caused by short selling that runs counter to economic fundamentals ultimately falls on small investors, who see value destroyed by others' predatory behavior."

☆ U.S. bankers urge SEC to probe short sales, reduce 'abusive' trading
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We urge the SEC to consider all its existing tools and to take measures to reduce the avenues for abusive trading practices and restore investor confidence," the group said. "These measures include, at a minimum, a clear message and appropriate enforcement actions against market manipulation and other abusive short selling practices." Short sellers raked in $378.9 million in paper profits on Thursday alone from betting against certain regional banks, according to analytics firm Ortex. ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols told Gensler that short selling could be a legitimate financial tool, but his group was "unalterably opposed to short selling practices that distort the markets through manipulation and abuse." He called on Gensler to send a clear message to market players and take appropriate enforcement action against market manipulation and other abusive short selling practices.

☆ U.S. CFPB's bid to curb late credit card fees faces strong opposition
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Niket Nishant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Fitch identified Discover Financial Services (DFS.N), Capital One Financial (COF.N), Synchrony Financial (SYF.N) and Bread Financial Holdings (BFH.N) among those at risk. Credit card companies typically rely on late fees to act as a bulwark against spending volumes tapering off when the economic environment is tough. If the CFPB's rule is implemented in its current form, it could reduce those fees by as much as 75% annually, the agency said. Michael Taiano, senior analyst at Fitch Ratings, said card companies could potentially resort to legal action to delay enforcement of these rules. "They could also respond by introducing other fees, like statement charges, which would charge a customer every time they request a statement," Taiano said.

☆ Op-ed: FTX crash shows cryptocurrency market needs bank-like regulation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Rob Nichols | Dennis Kelleher | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Instead, many crypto-asset customers had accounts at nonbank crypto firms. This is very similar to what happened at nonbank financial firms during the 2008 financial crash and would have happened when the 2020 pandemic hit if the Fed had not acted so quickly. Finally, this principle doesn't mean that a company has to be a bank to offer financial products or services. Innovation in the financial sector is critical to maximizing benefits for consumers, and fair, properly and consistently regulated competition can drive this process forward. But consumers also expect that the rules that govern providers — whether bank or nonbank — protect them and financial stability.

☆ Fact Check-Postage for mail-in ballots varies per location within Ohio; USPS says it will still deliver ballots with insufficient postage
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Postal Service (USPS) has also said they would deliver ballots even if there was insufficient or unpaid postage. While Americans should pay for postage where required, at the time, USPS said it was their policy to deliver return ballots regardless of insufficient or unpaid postage. It is true that in Ohio, voters are responsible for paying for their mail-in ballot’s postage (here). In cases where a voter sends a ballot with insufficient postage, the cost of such missing postage would likely be absorbed by the relevant elections board. Postal Service has said they deliver ballots even if they have insufficient or unpaid postage.

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