EU-wide Interchange Fee Regulation (IFR) goes into effect in December, and the U.K. government is seeking industry input on its implementation of the interchange caps and related provisions.
The CFPB has taken action against two companies over what the agency says were illegal practices related to student loans and financial aid information.
Despite the squeeze on capital created by the increased global regulatory burden, treasurers must still provide ample working capital for daily commercial flows, with minimum damage to their balance sheets. At the same time, the continuing rise in cross-border trade – frequently with relatively unknown and distant markets – increases exposure to geo-political and environmental risks. In such an environment, and particularly in light of post-crisis sensibilities, liquidity is more of a concern than ever, both to lubricate the daily machinations of trade and to act as a buffer for potential financial or supply-related shocks
Five years on from the Dodd-Frank Act being signed into law in the US, a number of outstanding issues for derivatives reform need to be resolved, according to a new paper by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association.
Government agencies disbursed a total of $139 billion through prepaid cards in 2014, according to the Federal Reserve’s latest annual report on government prepaid programs.
As the Dodd-Frank Act turns 5 today, the CFPB is making good on its consumer protection mandate, announcing today a new enforcement action.
Some of the top banking industry associations may be joined together, amalgamated or otherwise merged, following the publication of the Financial Services Trade Association Review this month. The move poses both risks and potential benefits.
A major online hacking forum and malware marketplace has been shut down in a coordinated operation by law enforcement officials in 20 countries.
The Payment Systems Regulator, the new economic regulator for UK payment systems, has appointed Ruth Evans as the chair of the Payments Strategy Forum. Evans is currently chair of The Authority for Television on Demand, the independent co-regulator for the editorial content of UK video on demand services.
The release in 2013 of Universal Rules for Bank Payment Obligation by the International Chamber of Commerce effectively endorsed and formalised the structure for international trade finance processes. Despite this, the volume of completed BPO transactions remains low
It’s now law, but not all of the act is in force yet.
Regulated entities that verify identity in connection with the issuance of stored value cards may find more flexibility in the principle-based approach to identity verification outlined in the proposed regulations.
Efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing have succeeded in making life difficult for criminals seeking to engage in those activities, according to a pair of reports from the Treasury Department.
advances in technology, and particularly consumer demand, are driving change and making the payments environment an interesting place to be in the years ahead
The NBPCA’s newly elected president and CEO spoke with Paybefore about priorities, what happens behind the scenes of the association, and the work that lies ahead for an industry that must continue to raise awareness on the Hill.
Equipping young Americans with the knowledge they need to make smart financial decisions should start as early as pre-kindergarten, according to a new report from a group of experts tasked with finding ways to promote financial capability among the young. Created by a 2013 executive order from President Obama, the President’s Advisory Council on Financial […]
The UK’s Payment Systems Regulator has published a series of papers describing its work on the creation of the Payments Strategy Forum, the body it is creating under independent leadership to bring together regulators, industry and users.
Payroll card providers now have until July 31, 2015, to respond to the New York Department of Labor’s proposed payroll card regulations, which prohibit fees for inactivity, overdraft, declined transactions or receiving written transaction statements, among other mandates.
Cybercrime investigators from six European countries joined forces and recently busted a large gang of cybercriminals that had used malware in a widespread attack on online banking systems across the Eurozone, resulting in losses of at least €2 million (US$2.22 million), according to Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency.
JPMorgan Chase is changing its policies to offer more customers access to mainstream payment services—and the company’s Liquid prepaid card will play a key role in the initiative.
The funds industry has successfully implemented the requirements of the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive over the past year but has doubts about the use of data being gathered by regulators and question whether it is helping regulators to better spot threats and systemic risks that may impact market stability.
The global financial crisis devastated the reputation of the UK banking industry and it is not hard to understand why public trust in banks is at a low ebb. Since 2008, there have been at least five major scandals involving one or more banks operating in the UK, writes Peter Duffy Along with the reputational damage […]
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision to uphold tax credits for consumers in 34 states with federal health insurance exchanges as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may not have huge implications for the benefit card industry.
There is a nuclear revolution going on in banking and payments with new digital challenger banks like Atom and Starling seeking to displace established banks that are themselves turning to real-time payment infrastructures to retain customers and under regulatory pressure to open up to FinTech competition from mobile players and payment service providers (PSPs). Crypto-currencies, cyber-security and other tech challenges were also addressed at the Banking Technology Forum 2015
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against bankrupt RadioShack Corp. to help ensure consumers in the state receive their collective $43 million in unredeemed gift cards.
The U.K. Law Commission is exploring ways to protect gift card holders in the event of retailer insolvency and is requesting comments on its proposals by Sept. 17.
Tactical regulatory firefighting has distracted banks from their long-term strategic shift to an enterprise view of data. Looming issues such as the possible Brexit highlight the urgency of this task
The need for financial institutions to accurately gauge their exposure to myriad sources of risk has seldom, if ever, been greater. The credit crisis toward the end of the last decade must have made that clear, and if bankers managed to avoid getting the message back then, the point has been driven home ever since by regulators around the world
Two key takeaways from the NBPCA’s Power of Prepaid event in Washington, D.C., last week are that relationships matter and industry stakeholders must bring consumer benefits to the forefront of any discussion with lawmakers and regulators.
European lawmakers will meet next week to agree on a road map toward finalizing data protection reform this year.
The U.S., Japan and China are working on regulations to prevent the use of digital currencies, such as bitcoin, from being used to finance illegal activities or terrorist organizations, according to Japanese newspaper Nikkei.
Eleven financial associations have published their support for a new set of derivatives reporting standards developed by ISDA, which is calling for greater cross-border harmonisation of data standards – even if that means some national laws will have to be amended.
TABB Group forecasts global compliance spending among capital markets firms will some increase 7.5% to 8% in 2015, reaching $2.592 billion , and growing at a similar pace for 2016, driven by global regulations that require institutions to expand coverage, enhance existing capabilities and standardise compliance solutions and processes.
Regulators should not define how markets are structured when it comes to innovation and open access to clearing. Instead, it should be left up to the market to define how services are provided, according to speakers at the IDX FIA Europe conference in Europe this week.
A multi-agency federal regulator report concluded that the CFPB and prudential regulators are “generally” coordinating their oversight activities pertaining to consumer financial laws, consistent with the Dodd-Frank Act and the provisions of a MOU (memorandum of understanding) governing coordination activities.
As the European Commission’s MiFID II legislation moved towards implementation of technical standards, some of Europe’s national regulators are seriously worried that mandatory open access to CCPs may not be such a good idea. Concerns about the ability to manage risk and the ability to effectively handle data were highlighted by speakers at the IDX FIA conference in London yesterday.
Karla McKenna has been named head of standards at the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation on a year’s secondment from Citi, where she is director of market practice and standards.
Global regulators are struggling to find the balance between recognising each other’s existence and learning to harmonise and coordinate their activities, and protecting domestic national economic stability. But people who can’t accept that there will be some differences in regulation between Asia, Europe and the US are not realistic, according to Timothy Massad, chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
The FDIC draws attention to a standard fraud claim without offering much guidance.
Industry association FIA Europe is calling on regulators to make changes to derivatives laws, including amendments to Basel III and MiFIR, as well as EMIR reporting obligations. The association argues that without the changes it is advocating, the viability of some of the new rules will be at risk.
