Bankshot

Hackers are targeting banks more frequently and more effectively. There's not much the industry or government can do about it. Featuring: Paul Benda, SVP of Operational Risk and Cybersecurity, American Bankers Association Mark Stamford, CEO, Occamsec Nathan Taylor, Partner, Morrison & Foerster Brian Vecci, Field CTO, Varonis Chris Wolfe, Managing Director, Head of North American Banks, Fitch Ratin...

Digital currencies are exploding in popularity but are still a long way from being integrated into the financial system.   Featuring:  Marc Hochstein, executive editor,  Coindesk Greg Baer, President and CEO,  Bank Policy Institute Karen Petrou, managing partner,  Federal Financial Analytics Jo Ann Barefoot, founder and CEO,  Alliance for Innovative Regulation    Peter Dugas, executive director, ...

Institutional independence is a big part of what makes the Federal Reserve work. But quantitative easing, new forays into climate and digital currency and a blurring of the line between monetary and fiscal policy might make that independence harder to maintain.

Indigenous reservations have some of the highest concentrations of unbanked Americans in the country. But tribes are finding ways to get things done — with or without banks.

Europe has encouraged adoption with rules that put consumers in control of the way their data is shared among banks, fintechs and third-party vendors. Whether the U.S. can make similar progress without its own rules is unclear.

Regulators around the world are exploring how to assess banks' exposures to climate change risks. But they'll have to tackle legal, economic and modeling problems that don't have obvious solutions.  

Looming defaults and the potential for heavier regulatory scrutiny have prompted banks to pull back from the sector. Is that a good thing?

Retail investors revolted against institutional investors by buying heavily shorted stocks in January, reanimating regulatory concerns about short selling and market manipulation. But is shorting a check on speculation, or a driver of it?

The Federal Reserve has the authority to lend to nonbanks in an emergency, and it isn't afraid to use it. But is that authority too broad — or too narrow?

Like in the industries its reporters cover, the lack of Black representation in business and financial media has created blind spots. Predominantly white newsrooms often miss stories about systemic racism or fail to reach an audience of more than one demographic. In the wake of this summer's Black Lives Matter protests, there are serious implications for financial services, the reporters covering...

Asset and capital allocations often exacerbate systemic racism across the financial services in some surprising ways. Innovators in the fields of asset management, banking, impact investing and pensions suggest there are also many ways to disrupt the cycle. Shifting the flow of capital could help reduce or eliminate institutional barriers and racial discrimination.

President-elect Joe Biden will likely have to contend with a Republican-controlled Senate. That could have important implications for his approach to financial services policy.

The lack of Black representation in the financial services stems from two interconnected problems. Black professionals face significant hurdles once they break into the industry. And the presence of nearly 175,000 Black financial professionals displays that their widespread absence at the upper executive ranks isn't a product of there being an insufficient talent pool.

The success of some fintechs in getting bank charters this year only underscores how onerous the process remains for many others. That's unlikely to change unless policymakers reconsider what it means to be a bank.

Racism at the branch and in the workplace makes it harder for Black Americans to gain access to financial services. In the second episode of the  Access Denied podcast , innovators and researchers from the fields of human resources, banking and wealth management explain how industries leave people out — and what needs to be done to change it.

A Federal Reserve-issued digital dollar could speed up payments, expand financial access and reduce financial crime. But it also brings trade-offs that policymakers are only just beginning to consider. 

In this featured episode from the Arizent special series , net worth disparities and the roles housing and mortgage discrimination play in Black homeownership show how it's impossible to close the gaps without eliminating racism.

A disputed outcome could cause significant market turmoil in the coming months — and have far more serious repercussions over the longer term.

The fees have helped banks recoup costs of free or low-cost checking accounts for decades, but they can penalize low-income customers and drive them away from banking. Is there a better way?

For decades lawmakers have ignored broad structural flaws in the National Flood Insurance Program, which underpins millions of home mortgages. And the problem is only getting worse .

The stock market has reached record highs despite rampant unemployment, recession and a global pandemic. What gives?

With the USPS emerging as an election-year flashpoint, postal banking is an idea that could gain steam. But a number of proposals are out there, and they have widely varying implications for financial inclusion.

As the discredited Libor interest rate benchmark enters its last months, some banks are turning away from the repo-based alternative that regulators prefer. What could go wrong?

Regulators are urging banks to offer small-dollar loans again and lifting existing restrictions on nonbank lenders. But the real challenge is making those loans favorable to consumers without losing money.

While most of the public attention has been on Joe Biden's lead in presidential polls, any true overhaul of the bank regulatory landscape hinges on whether Democrats can retake the Senate — and by what margin.