Headline Feeds|
Taking the Alternative-Lending Path to Financial Prosperity January 11, 2012 
It's been difficult in recent years for many people and small businesses to get the loans they need from banks and other traditional lenders, but there are a variety of alternative models. One is person-to-person lending, offered by companies like
Prosper, which essentially lets individual people become lenders. "We look at Prosper as a new way of banking," said Chris Larsen, Prosper's CEO and cofounder.
|
Appointment of Consumer Protection Head Ignites Political Furor January 05, 2012 
President Barack Obama named Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau via a recess appointment on Wednesday. It was a controversial move for the president, prompting Senate Republicans to accuse him of making a power grab and abusing executive authority. Indeed, Republican resistance to confirming the former Ohio attorney general for the post prompted the recess appointment.
|
|
Cultivating E-Commerce Trust Across the Globe December 03, 2011 
Online retailers considering selling their goods overseas need to know the expectations of consumers in the countries in which they want to do business. This is particularly important at the checkout -- with payment methods becoming an increasingly sensitive issue, consumer trust will help determine conversion rates. A consumer in Germany, for example, expects to see a retailer with a German address and prices posted in euros.
|
CFPB: Consumers Struggle to Understand Credit Card Policies December 02, 2011 
Operational for just barely four months, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has received some 5,000 complaints about credit card companies. The bureau issued an interim report on the nature of the complaints, ranging from objectionable advertising and marketing practices, application processing delays and high interest rates, to identity theft, privacy intrusions, and the unsolicited issuance of cards.
|
|
Mobile Apps to Keep Your Mind on Your Money November 09, 2011 
Managing personal finances once involved lots of paper. Then computer programs came along that helped simplify the process. Now a multitude of mobile apps are available to help people attend to money matters on the go. "It's very convenient to have it in your pocket on your phone," said Garth Scrivner, senior investment counselor with StanCorp Investment Advisers.
|
AmEx Makes Bold Digital Commerce Play November 08, 2011 
American Express is extending its financial reach to the wild world of tech startups through a new multiyear digital commerce initiative. The $100 million program is designed to help identify and develop innovative technologies to aid the company's digital transformation and strengthen connections to customers around the world.
|
|
Linux, Open Source Still 'Money' in Financial Services November 08, 2011 
Linux and open source software are spreading out -- cloud computing, mobile computing, supercomputing -- and an increasing number of use cases large and small. One area where Linux and open source have history and continue to remain strong is banking and financial services, highlighted by the latest open source messaging technology in the space: the new OpenMAMA middleware messaging project and the AMQP messaging standard.
|
B of A Backtracks on Debit Fees November 01, 2011 
Bank of America has decided to back off from a controversial fee that it announced in September: a $5 ding every month for consumers who use their debit cards to make a retail purchase. The plan had endured sustained consumer outrage since it was publicly revealed.
|
|
Debit Card Fees May Drive Disgusted Bank Customers to Credit Unions October 25, 2011 
The ire exhibited by consumers in the wake of Bank of America's recent announcement that it would impose a $5 monthly fee for using debit cards for retail purchases does not seem to have been a momentary flash -- at least, not based on findings in a survey by The Research Intelligence Group. Thirty percent of U.S. consumers would leave their bank over debit card fees, it indicated.
|
And Now for Something Completely Different: Nanostuff Lets Computers Remake Themselves October 18, 2011 
Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a new nanomaterial that can reconfigure itself by directing the flow of current. This could lead to computers that can reconfigure their internal circuitry as needed. The hybrid material combines different aspects of silicon- and polymer-based electronics to create nanoparticle-based electronics.
|
|
BofA Customers May Not Want to Take It Anymore September 30, 2011 
Bank of America may have hoped it could quietly slip a $5 fee past its customers. If so, it was woefully wrong. This week, the bank announced it would charge debit card customers a $5 monthly fee when they use their cards to purchase goods. The bank pointed to new financial regulations as a reason.
|
The Sunny Side of the Durbin Amendment September 13, 2011 
The Durbin Amendment is well-known throughout the financial services community thanks to extensive media analysis over the past year. Originally scheduled to take effect last month, the Durbin Amendment, an addition to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, will now take effect in October.
|
|
Oracle Gives Road Warriors More Options With CRM On Demand 19 July 22, 2011 
Oracle has released version 19 of its Oracle CRM On Demand application, providing upgrades that range from small, incremental changes to significant innovations. These include new cloud extensibility and mobile options; more access for sales reps via a new connected smartphone application that allows them to access and update information remotely; a new user interface; and more options for customization.
|
Isis Slips Visa, MC and AmEx Into Its Virtual Wallet July 20, 2011 
Isis, a mobile commerce venture that includes the U.S.' largest wireless providers, announced Tuesday that Visa, MasterCard and American Express will be partnering with the organization. The agreement makes Isis, a joint venture between AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile and supported by Discover at its start, the only mobile payment product that accepts all four major payment networks.
|
|
Tackling Business Model Innovation June 15, 2011 
I heard a phrase the other day that resonated with things I've been thinking about and talking about on the stump recently, but I had never heard it so succinctly. I was taking a briefing from Zuora, a company involved in providing on-demand billing solutions for companies that deliver on-demand services.
|
Citigroup Fumbles 200,000 Credit Cards in Massive Data Breach June 10, 2011 
More than 200,000 Citigroup bank accounts were hacked in last month, according to just-released data from the company, and federal regulations could tighten because of the security breach. Details of the hack remain scarce. The bank says hackers probably accessed names, card numbers, addresses and e-mail information.
|
See More Articles in Financial Services Section >>
