New York State introduces bill deeming EWA a loan
The bill, known as the STOP Act, was introduced by State Sen. Samra Brouk and Assemblymember Steven Raga, and proposes that any wage or cash advance be considered a loan and subject to the state’s 16% civil usury law.
Former Citi exec alleges sexual harassment by wealth chief
Julia Carreon is suing the bank, alleging she suffered race and sex discrimination, including sexual harassment by Andy Sieg, the bank’s head of wealth management.
Judge blesses Fifth Third-Comerica deal, shuts down lawsuit
A Delaware judge denied HoldCo Asset Management’s emergency motion for a temporary restraining order to stop the deal from closing. Fifth Third plans to complete its purchase on Feb. 1.
Banks’ myopic focus on stablecoin interest obscures a greater threat
The risk facing U.S. banks is not that stablecoins will suddenly siphon deposits through yield alone. It is that deposits will gradually follow utility as financial experiences improve elsewhere.
Mastercard expands startup outreach to agentic AI firms
The card network’s Start Path engagement program is scouring the technology world for entrepreneurs working on the new form of artificial intelligence.
What to expect at American Banker’s inaugural On-Chain summit
At a time when banks have tokenization, stablecoin and blockchain projects in the works, senior leaders will exchange ideas at a New York conference.
State regulators optimistic about shift in bank supervision
State regulators say proposed changes by the Federal Reserve that would make state bank examiners the primary boots on the ground will make bank examinations faster, but could cause some issues to go overlooked.
Wells Fargo hires AWS exec to lead AI strategy
Faraz Shafiq, formerly of AWS and Google, will oversee the bank’s vision for enterprise-wide artificial intelligence initiatives.
Lawsuit calls out AI hiring practices that many banks use
Eightfold AI, which many companies use as they screen job candidates, is being accused of gathering information about applicants without their consent. The lawsuit also alleges that the company uses an algorithm to judge candidates without explaining how it works.
Fiserv adds Affirm’s BNPL to debit cards
Post-purchase, buy now pay later loans from Affirm will be available on Fiserv-issued debit cards. Last year, Affirm and FIS inked a deal to bring Affirm’s BNPL loans to FIS-issued debit cards.