Bankers wary of nonbank payment rivals in 2026
Executives surveyed by American Banker said companies vying to wrestle market share from banks are a major threat to operations in the coming year.
Banks that fail to rebuild themselves as AI-native risk irrelevancy
The future of banking will see core bank systems rebuilt around artificial intelligence tools that inform decisions about everything from underwriting to compliance. Banks must begin the transition now.
Justices wary of Trump’s urgent need to remove Fed’s Cook
The Supreme Court Wednesday appeared skeptical of the Justice Department’s argument that removal of a Federal Reserve governor is unreviewable or that the president’s preference for Fed governors outweighs the harm to the Fed from curbing the central bank’s political independence.
Trump, again, calls on Congress to cap credit card rates
President Trump in Davos, Switzerland talked about his call for lower credit-card interest rates and more affordable housing in a lengthy speech that mostly focused on his plan to take over Greenland.
PayPal turns to AI to boost branded checkout
The payment company is betting on agentic commerce to get its checkout tech in front of more merchants and consumers.
Credit card payment rails cannot handle AI-driven transaction volume
As artificial intelligence agents play an increasingly large role in enterprise finance, traditional credit card rails will be incapable of handling the speed and volume of transactions. Something new is needed.
As CFPB retreats, state AGs and bank regulators step up
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has backed off enforcement and supervision of consumer protection laws, leaving states to fill the void — and potentially creating a “patchwork” of state laws that banks will have to comply with.
Strong fundamentals help boost earnings at U.S. Bank
The Minneapolis-based regional saw its fourth-quarter profits jump 23%. Consumer deposits bumped up, while operating expenses remained muted.
Brazen scheme combines fraud, visiting customers’ homes
A New Jersey courier scam highlights the severe liability risks consumers face when using debit cards compared to credit cards.
Fifth Third’s old-school plan to keep Comerica customers
In the 11 months after Fifth Third completes its acquisition of Comerica, the Cincinnati bank plans to send 13 million-to-14 million pieces of paper mail to retail customers. CEO Tim Spence says the old-fashioned method “still works,” and actually has some advantages over more modern modes of communication.