American Banker September 2024

Real estate's turn to roll the dice

Credit unions worked with California lawmakers to reshape proposed changes to the fees. An upcoming rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau raises uncertainty.

Overdraft fees continue to be in the spotlight, with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposing a rule essentially to cap them. Certain credit unions are also now required to disclose additional information on this revenue stream.

A rising number of check fraud cases involving counterfeit checks is compounding the already-serious problem of fraud in one of the oldest payment methods widely available.

Prophecies about a wave of bank failures caused by sickly CRE loans haven't yet come true. But there are still plenty of caution signs in a saga that will take years to play out.

Only two de novo banks have opened in 2024, while more than 100 launched annually prior to the 2008 financial crisis. Experts don't agree on how to solve the problem.

Agencies must now provide clearer justifications for their interpretations, while Congress needs to draft more precise legislation. The decision could empower banks to challenge agency rules more frequently and potentially prolong regulatory processes, with courts giving less deference to agency interpretations.

In "Money and Promises," Paolo Zannoni, the historian, banker and executive deputy chairman of Prada, tells the tale of instances in which banks teamed up with governments to create financial instruments. Early bank innovations transformed debt into bank money, allowing cities and nations to thrive.