Category:Finance & Banking
Chasing the Points: How Credit Card Rewards Can Distract from Consumer Costs
Credit card companies have turned rewards and bonuses into flashy marketing showpieces, from generous signup points to promises of skipping airport lines. Yet behind the glossy offers lies a harsher reality in which many cardholders end up paying far more in interest, fees, and forfeited value than they ever receive in rewards. This imbalance raises serious questions about transparency, compliance, and consumer harm.
The IPO of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Could Provide Instability to an Already Weak U.S. Housing Market
Last month, the Trump Administration announced that it is pursuing an initial public offering (IPO) of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), both of which are currently under government conservatorship and overseen by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). While there is no guarantee that the deal will move forward, President Donald Trump, FHFA Director Bill Plute, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick believe the offering will take place soon, potentially later this year. While boasted as a great deal by the Trump Administration, given the size, risks, and the likely results that will follow the deals commencement, it is more likely to destabilize the mortgage market and further harm the currently sluggish U.S. housing market than to provide any benefit to U.S. citizens.
From Spreadsheets to Statutes: KPMG Enters into Law
The Arizona Supreme Court has approved the accounting firm Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG) to enter the practice of law. KMPG will be the first Big Four accounting firm to open its own law firm. This approval has created a stir in the legal community due to conflict and ethical compliance concerns. Although KPMG only has received approval in Arizona, there could be potential issues regarding conflicts, ethical challenges, and fair competition.
FIRM Act Sent to Senate to Vote on Eliminating the Use of Reputational Risk in Banking
On March 6, 2025, the Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Senator Tim Scott, introduced a bill designed to eliminate reputational risk as a component of regulatory supervision in banking. The Financial Integrity and Regulation Management Act, or FIRM Act, is the latest edition in the Senate’s efforts to reduce the potential influence of banking regulators in perpetuating debanking schemes of various industries. The bill has received praise and support from many leaders and industry groups in the banking industry including a letter of support from a coalition of 26 state financial officers and comments in favor of the bill submitted by the American Bankers Association (ABA). On March 13, 2025, the Senate Banking Committee voted in favor of sending the bill to the Senate to begin congressional voting. While it remains debatable if reputational risk is being misused to politically influence the types of clients that banks service, it is clear that reputational risk in regulatory exams is an unnecessary extension of strategic risk that should be removed from examinations to close the door to any possibilities of political misuse.
The RegTech Revolution: Automating Compliance in a Complex Regulatory Landscape
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, organizations face an ever-expanding array of regulations and compliance requirements. To navigate this complex environment, many businesses are turning to Regulatory Technology, or RegTech, to automate compliance processes. While automation promises increased efficiency and reduced costs, it also raises concerns about added complexities and potential risks. Is relying on technology to handle compliance a prudent strategy, or would this add layers to an already tangled web?
Locked Out: How the FDIC is ‘Banking’ on Transparency
As a result of Synapse, a banking as a service (BaaS) provider, declaring bankruptcy back in May 2024, millions of users were unable to access accounts for at least two weeks. Synapse was a startup that had contracts with 20 banks and 100 financial technology (fintech) companies. When the company filed for bankruptcy, it shut down its services to comply with banking laws to ensure that all customer deposits were accurate. Despite the word “banking” in BaaS and customers having credit or debit cards, Synapse is not like other banks. It is distinguishable, because it is not backed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), like other traditional banks are. In the aftermath of the lock out, the FDIC has proposed a new rule to force banks partnered with fintech apps to strengthen record-keeping.
CFPB Takes Aim at Credit Card Late Fees in Latest Rule to Eliminate ‘Junk Fees’
In January 2022, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) set out to increase transparency in the pricing of financial services products by implementing rules to eliminate ‘junk fees’ that often obscure the true price of financial products. Through this initiative, the CFPB analyzed the impact of numerous types of fees across banking while simultaneously attracting the scrutiny of banking advocacy organizations such as the American Banking Association (ABA) and the US Chamber of Commerce. These advocacy organizations have challenged the constitutionality of the CFPB funding structure. The CFPB examines all categories of financial products in the search for ‘junk fees’, including recently uncovering paper bank statement fees for statements that were never printed or mailed, add-on products being charged to paid-off auto loan accounts, undisclosed fees imposed on international money transfers, and bank operating systems double-dipping on non-sufficient funds fees. While litigation has recently settled in the Supreme Court to determine that the CFPB is constitutionally funded under the Appropriations Clause, the most recent rule by the CFPB to limit ‘junk fees’ imposed on credit card accounts remains on hold following a decision to grant a Preliminary Injunction by the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
SEC Launches Largest Regulatory Blitz Since the Great Recession, and Wall Street Readies for War: Part Two of a Two Part Series
Welcome back! Part One of this two-part series discussed the regulatory background of private funds and the increasing importance of private funds industry regulation today, particularly for retired and retiring Americans. Part Two of the series takes a closer look at the final new rules implemented by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler. The Chair released the new rules in August affecting private funds advisors and investors. This article also discusses Wall Street’s response to the new regulations and ends with its possible implications for the industry.
SEC Launches Largest Regulatory Blitz Since the Great Recession, and Wall Street Readies for War: Part One of a Two Part Series
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair, Gary Gensler, has introduced more regulatory proposals impacting market participants than former SEC Chair, Mary Schapiro, did in the same time frame following the Great Recession almost fifteen years ago. The SEC has formally adopted 22 of 47 regulatory proposals since 2021, and in August released extensive final rules targeting private funds. The new regulations in part require private fund advisors to increase disclosure to their investors regarding fees, expenses, and other terms of their relationship. Other new rules prohibit preferential treatment of some investors that may materially affect other investors in the same fund.
Hey U.S. Government, The Romance Scammers Are Eating Americans Dry
The rise of online dating and social media has brought people closer together but has also given rise to a growing threat: romance scams. These fraudulent schemes prey on individuals seeking love and companionship, resulting in emotional and financial devastation. These scams involve perpetrators who create fake online personas to deceive individuals into forming romantic connections. Once trust is established, scammers exploit emotions to extract money from their victims, often under the pretense of financial emergencies or travel expenses.