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☆ Why chaos in Russia could spell trouble for the global economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Mark Thompson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

On Saturday, a fellow global energy power, Qatar, expressed “great concern” about the situation in Russia. Any meaningful loss of Russian energy would force China and India to compete with Western nations for supplies from other producers. Libya and Venezuela provide cautionary tales of how civil war and internal political strife can savage energy exports. At just under 10 million barrels per day, it produces about 10% of global crude oil demand. It took a long time for the Russian oil industry to recover from that.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, “ Putin, ”, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Richard Bronze, Matt Smith, Kpler, —, Stern, Agustin Carstens, Brent, Moscow, “, Sonnenfeld, — Sarah Diab, Sharon Braithwaite, Alexandra Peers, Ramishah Organizations: London CNN —, ” Yale, CNN, Western, Energy, Bank for International, BIS, US Energy Information Agency, Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Russia, China, India, Qatar, Americas, Europe, United States, Basel, Asia, Venezuela, Libya, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, Soviet Union, London, New York

Artificial intelligence algorithms are increasingly being used in financial services — but they come with some serious risks around discrimination. And the problem of amplifying existing biases can be even more severe when it comes to banking and financial services. As for financial services, Manji said a lot of the backend data systems are fragmented in different languages and formats. "Individuals have little knowledge of how AI systems work and that their individual case may, in fact, be the tip of a systems-wide iceberg. Among the top worries industry insiders expressed are misinformation; racial and gender bias embedded in AI algorithms; and "hallucinations" generated by ChatGPT-like tools.

Persons: Nabil Manji, Manji, they've, we're, You've, Banks, Banking's, Rumman Chowdhury, Twitter's, Chowdhury, Angle Bush, Bush, Frost Li, Li, Niklas Guske, Guske, it's, Goldman Sachs, Kim Smouter, Smouter, ethicists Organizations: Photodisc, Getty, Deloitte, CNBC, Microsoft, Google, Black, Artificial Intelligence, Tokyo University, Apple, New York Department of Financial Services, European Network, United Nations Locations: AMSTERDAM, Worldpay, Amsterdam, Chicago, Loup, United

☆ UBS completes Credit Suisse takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —UBS has finalized its emergency takeover of fallen rival Credit Suisse, creating a giant Swiss bank with nearly $1.7 trillion in assets in the biggest banking tie-up since the 2008 global financial crisis. The government has said that allowing Credit Suisse (CS) — one of the world’s 30 most important banks — to fail would probably have triggered an international financial crisis. Swiss taxpayers are on the hook for up to 9 billion Swiss francs ($10 billion) of losses that UBS may incur from certain Credit Suisse assets, over and above losses of 5 billion francs ($5.5 billion) that UBS has agreed to bear itself. Investors have already sued the Swiss financial regulator over its decision to impose those losses on them, Reuters has reported. Credit Suisse bled customer deposits worth 67 billion francs ($74.3 billion) in the first three months of the year, adding to massive withdrawals at the end of last year.

Persons: FINMA, “ FINMA, “, Sergio Ermotti, Colm Kelleher, Ermotti, Kelleher, ” Organizations: London CNN, UBS, Credit Suisse, Swiss, Financial Times, CNN, Suisse, Reuters, Credit, Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank Locations: Swiss, Switzerland, Silicon, United States

☆ Why it's not that great that everyone is flocking to their online bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Josée Rose | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Smaller and regional banks are important for the US financial system. "Regional banks have a combination of regional knowledge and expertise that makes lending more efficient," C. Michael Zabel, a former executive at M&T, the Buffalo-based regional bank, told Dealbook in April. Broadly, regional banks are staring down two main headwinds. In the first quarter, Ally Financial and Goldman Sach's Marcus online bank saw them rise, while regional-bank powerhouses like US Bank, Truist Financial, and Citizens Financial saw deposits fall, according to The Wall Street Journal. The pressure on regional banks hasn't abated yet.

Persons: Goldman Sachs's Marcus, Wells, Michael Zabel, Dealbook, They're, Goldman Sach's Marcus, they've, Bankrate's, we'll, Robert Hockett Organizations: Morning, Citibank, bonanza, Bank, Truist, Citizens, Wall Street, Silicon Valley Bank, First, JPMorgan, Western Alliance ., Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, Fed, Bloomberg, Cornell University, CNN Locations: JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Buffalo, Silicon, First Republic, PacWest, they're, Wall, San Francisco

☆ CFPB warns about storing funds in payment apps like PayPal, Venmo
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Some consumers are using services like PayPal, Venmo, Cash App and Apple Pay for direct deposit of paychecks, or simply storing lots of cash in them. Payment apps, however, are not federally insured on the institution level. PayPal Holdings (PYPL), which owns both PayPal and Venmo, did not reply to a request for comment Friday. “Tens of millions of American consumers and small businesses rely on payment apps to better spend, manage, and send their money. The agency also noted the payment apps make money by investing funds their customers store on the apps, similar to how banks invest their customers deposits.

Persons: Rohit Chopra, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, PayPal, Financial, Bureau, Valley Bank, Signature Bank, Bank, PayPal Holdings, Financial Technology Association Locations: New York

☆ Commercial real estate will suffer a recession if banks don't start lending again, warns property billionaire Ross Perot Jr.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The commercial real estate sector is at risk of a recession, warned Ross Perot Jr. The real estate billionaire said banks needed to lend to the industry to avoid a sharp downturn. "The key to commercial real estate today though will be banking," the real estate billionaire and son of two-time presidential candidate Ross Perot told Bloomberg on Wednesday. Several commentators including Elon Musk and Bill Ackman have sounded the alarm on commercial real estate in recent weeks. "That is why we will have a real estate recession if the banks do not start lending."

Persons: Ross Perot Jr, —, Ross Perot, Elon Musk, Bill Ackman, stoking, Hillwood Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, First, Perot Jr, Perot Locations: Silicon, First Republic, —

☆ Banks are all-in on AI, but there's one problem: They can't hold on to the talent. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Paige Hagy | Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Big banks are hiring a lot of AI talent, but are having a tough time holding on to it. The difficulty banks have retaining AI talent, however, isn't due to poaching among peers. Banks can lure in AI talentIt's true that big banks have the wherewithal to hire and capitalize on top AI talent and are attractive at the outset to those looking for a new shop. "The AI talent coming to the financial-services industry is almost like supporting the tech talent, if you will," Hirsch said. Big Tech has its own problems right nowTo be sure, banks are snagging from Big Tech too.

☆ Cross-border payroll is complicated — and risky. From tax and labor laws to forex and banking regs, here's what you need to know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Papaya With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

The challenges and complexities of cross-border payroll paymentsCross-border payroll payments can present several challenges and complexities for employers. Banking systemsSome countries have a less developed banking system, which can make the process of cross-border payroll payments more complex. Cons:Limited acceptance: In some countries, payroll cards may have limited acceptance, making them less attractive as a cross-border payroll payment method. The role of technology in streamlining the process of cross-border payroll paymentsMost payroll companies outsource the delivery of payroll payments. Manage cross-border payroll payments effectivelyAdopting a dedicated technology for global payroll payments — like Papaya Global — can make the process of paying your global workforce faster, smoother, and more reliable.

Persons: paychecks, Banks Organizations: Mastercard, Employers, Global, McKinsey Global, Insider Studios Locations: Canada, New York, India, United States, Belgium

☆ How my credit card saved the day when my phone was stolen on a trip abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Liz Hund | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Why the Chase Freedom Flex saved the day when my phone was stolenMy credit card reimbursed me for my stolen smartphone. Additionally, the Freedom Flex’s cell phone insurance is secondary to any other insurance you have that covers your phone. Credit cards with cell phone insuranceA number of credit cards include cell phone insurance. However, some banks — namely Citi — have removed cell phone insurance as a credit card benefit, even for World Elite Mastercards. Check out CNN Underscored’s full guide to the best credit cards for cell phone insurance for the full list, which includes popular travel credit cards.

☆ Quantitative tightening: What happens when $2 trillion is sucked out of the global economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“Quantitative tightening,” or QT, by top central banks will suck $2 trillion in liquidity out of the financial system over the next two years, according to a recent analysis by Fitch Ratings. Investors and banks calibrate their strategies to the amount of money in the financial system, he noted. Then, central banks started withdrawing liquidity from the financial system. Even worse, many banks have large holes on their balance sheets because central banks have simultaneously jacked up interest rates. While government debt levels have skyrocketed in recent years, the cost of servicing that debt has been tamped down by the willingness of central banks to buy large chunks of it.

☆ Investors have turned away from a key part of the stock market. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., October 23, 2018. US stock futures rise early Thursday, as investors await the weekly jobless claims report to measure the strength of the labor market. It revealed just a week ago that it already holds $1.5 billion of the world's most popular token. Here are the five bank stocks to bet on now. The tech giant's stock has rallied on its AI efforts, and it surpassed the key threshold for the first time since May 2022.

☆ San Francisco Fed Ties to S.V.B. Chief Attracts Scrutiny to Century-Old Setup
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Jeanna Smialek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has drawn attention to the relationship between the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, which was in charge of overseeing safety and soundness at the lender, and the bank’s former chief executive, Greg Becker, who for years sat on the San Francisco Fed’s board of directors. The bank’s collapse on March 10 has prompted criticism of the Fed, whose bank supervisors were slow to spot and stop problems before Silicon Valley Bank experienced a devastating run that necessitated a sweeping government response. Mr. Becker’s position on the San Francisco Fed board would have given him little formal power, according to current and former Fed employees and officials. The Fed’s 12 reserve banks — semiprivate institutions dotted across the country — each has a nine-person board of directors, three of whom come from the banking industry. Those boards have no say in bank supervision, and serve mainly as advisers for the Fed bank’s leadership.

☆ Why bank stocks are so unstable
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

New York CNN —The financial sector has been churning in rough water since the shocking collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in March. Bank insiders see this and have been buying up shares of regional lenders, according to a report by Timothy Coffey, an analyst at Janney Montgomery Scott. The Oracle of Omaha said he remains cautious about holding bank stocks and that he has reduced his own exposure to the sector. The S&P 500 financial sector, however, is down more than 12% over the same period. Economists were hoping that this year would bring better news, but instead 2023 brought the collapse of three US regional banks and a subsequent lending squeeze.

☆ Giant loans on 10 major US office towers are due soon, stoking fears of more defaults that could be the next crisis to hit banks — and the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

About $80 billion in office loans come due this year, threatening defaults. High-profile owners like Blackstone and Brookfield have walked away from major office loans as high interest rates and tighter lending levels have made refinancing debts more costly. Some analysts have even said that commercial real estate debt is the next big danger for the stock market. The leading research firm analyzing commercial real estate debt, Trepp, has a front-row seat to the reckoning. Office landlords' leasing, and therefore revenue, has fallen significantly due to the rise of remote work.

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☆ Why the Fed will likely raise rates two days after First Republic failed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —For the second time this year, the Federal Reserve is gearing up to raise interest rates right after a bank failure. When the Fed raises interest rates, banks need to raise the rates on their savings accounts in order to lure in depositors from their competitors. Why, then, is the Fed likely to raise interest rates on Wednesday? Fed wants to avoid ‘stop-and-go’ rate hikesThe Fed is raising interest rates to lower inflation. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the Fed flip-flopped between raising interest rates to get inflation under control and lowering rates to spur economic activity.

☆ Why First Republic Bank may not be the end of the crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —After a six-week spiral, First Republic bank finally collapsed in the wee hours of Monday morning. Everyone on Wall Street appears to be drinking from the same punch bowl as Jamie Dimon, who framed the sale as a bookend to the crisis. To his mind, the sale just makes JPMorgan, already the nation’s largest bank, even bigger, and the power of the biggest Wall Street banks more concentrated. That idea got an extra boost on Monday, when the FDIC itself released a report advocating for an increase in the deposit insurance limit for business payment accounts. “You can think of federal deposit insurance as being a bit like nuclear weapons,” he said.

☆ A Timeline of How the Banking Crisis Has Unfolded
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Madeleine Ngo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

March 9Gregory Becker, the chief executive of Silicon Valley Bank, urged venture capital firms to remain calm on a conference call. March 10In the biggest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis, Silicon Valley Bank collapsed after a run on deposits . Regional bank stocks plunged after the unexpected seizure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank , with shares of First Republic tumbling 60 percent. The Treasury secretary believed the actions by the private sector would help underscore confidence in the stability of the banking system. April 28The Fed released a report faulting itself for failing to “take forceful enough action” ahead of Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse.

Even so, the U.S. financial system has plenty of problems. The lender, founded in 1985, was the 14th-largest bank in the United States at the start of this year. Its shares lost nearly all of their value after a relentless series of steep declines that began as Silicon Valley Bank was teetering. reached out to other financial institutions, including JPMorgan Chase, PNC Financial Services and Bank of America, seeking bids for the First Republic. As part of the bidding process, banks were also asked what parts of the bank they wouldn’t accept.

☆ Swiss central bank promises regulation review after collapse of Credit Suisse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Thomas Jordan, president of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), speaks during the bank's annual general meeting in Bern, Switzerland, on Friday, April 28, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe Swiss National Bank on Friday pledged to review banking regulations during its annual general meeting in Bern, following recent turmoil involving Credit Suisse. The central bank played a key role in brokering the rescue of Credit Suisse over the course of a chaotic weekend in March, as a flight of deposits and plummeting share price took the 167-year-old institution to the brink of collapse. The deal remains mired in controversy and legal challenges, particularly over the lack of investor input and the unconventional decision to wipe out 15 billion Swiss francs ($16.8 billion) of Credit Suisse AT1 bonds. He added that this would mean his central bank could would be able to provide the necessary liquidity, in times of stress, without the need for emergency law.

☆ Morgan Stanley's wealth business just keeps on winning
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It's good to be Morgan Stanley these days. Amid a difficult market for Wall Street banks — thanks in large part to non-existent deal flow — Morgan Stanley's massive wealth business has been paying off big time. But Morgan Stanley's success isn't coming in a vacuum. -Meanwhile, UBS, arguably Morgan Stanley's biggest competitor in the space, was begrudgingly saddled with Credit Suisse's carcass. With wealth advisors, a key part of hiring includes offering "bonuses" that are actually loans.

☆ How to trade Deutsche Bank and Barclays quarterly results based on history
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Two of Europe's largest banks — Britain's Barclays and Germany's Deutsche Bank — are set to announce their first-quarter earnings later on Thursday. In such a scenario, CNBC Pro's analysis found that shares, on average, outperformed the FTSE 100 index by 2.7 percentage points on the day. The stock also beat the benchmark by 2.5 percentage points over a week since the results, and 13.9 percentage points a month out. BARC-GB 1Y line Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank shares have more often than not performed poorly compared to the DAX index , according to CNBC Pro's analysis. Deutsche Bank shares were trading at 9.52 euros per share ($11.87) on Wednesday afternoon.

☆ China may have to bail out one of its poorest provinces
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hong Kong CNN —One of China’s poorest and most indebted provinces has admitted defeat in trying to sort out its finances and is appealing to Beijing for help to avert default. Guizhou, located in a mountainous region of southwest China, has hired a top state-owned distressed debt fund, China Cinda Asset Management, to resolve its “urgent” problems. China’s local governments are struggling with trillions of dollars of debt, after three years of strict pandemic controls and a real estate crash drained their coffers. The Pingtang Bridge links two cities in southwest China's Guizhou province. In China, most local government liabilities are composed of “hidden debt” issued by their financing arms.

☆ Goldman Sachs Sheds Consumer Loans as Losses Mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Rob Copeland | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

How much will it cost for Goldman Sachs to extricate itself from a mistake? Goldman said it had sold off some of those down-market loans and conceded defeat on others, to the tune of nearly $500 million in losses. In October, the firm cleaved its wobbling consumer offerings, including credit card partnerships and interest-earning accounts, into a separate division. Three months later, the bank disclosed more than $3 billion in losses tied to that business over the previous years. Even for a lender as large as Goldman, the continuous bleeding is no small matter.

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Don’t be misled by the big banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

On Friday three big U.S. banks reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings. Investors weren't misled by big banks' bonanza of incredible earnings. Even though higher rates fueled big banks' earnings, they also expose weaknesses in balance sheets, as Dimon himself warned. In other words, what's good for big banks' income is not necessarily good for the economy. Despite the excitement over the big banks' earnings, then, investors kept a cool head, causing the three major indexes to fall.

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