FDIC: Resource Guide Highlights Collaborative Opportunities with Minority Depository Institutions
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) today issued a resource guide that underscores ways insured depository institutions, including community banks, can partner with minority depository institutions (MDIs) to the benefit of all institutions involved, as well as the communities they serve. The resource guide also notes that banks may realize business and regulatory benefits from…
CFPB: Tax Season Is Right Around the Corner; Tips for Planning Out Your Refund and Savings
You only file your personal tax return once a year. Depending on your situation, filing can be easy or complicated. Many people prepare and file their own returns, but the majority of consumers still seek help from a professional tax preparer. If you think you will need help preparing and filing your tax return in…
FDIC: FDIC Consumer News Offers Tips on Dealing with Debt
Whether you have a little bit of debt or a lot, managing it wisely and ultimately paying off what you owe can be crucial to your financial well-being. The Fall 2017 FDIC Consumer News suggests ways to handle different kinds of debt, including: What to do if you’re struggling to pay your loans, credit cards…
FHFA: Maximum Conforming Loan Limits Announced for 2018
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced the maximum conforming loan limits for mortgages to be acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2018. In most of the U.S., the 2018 maximum conforming loan limit for one-unit properties will be $453,100, an increase from $424,100 in 2017. Baseline limit The Housing and Economic…
CFPB: A Five-Step Spending Plan to Avoid Holiday Debt
The holidays can put a financial burden even on the savviest of shoppers and savers. But like most things, taking time to plan can help you avoid the stress that comes with overspending. Before you hit the mall or shop for Black Friday deals, keep reading to learn how to make a holiday spending plan…
CFPB: Five Ways Banks and Lenders Work with People Who Speak or Understand Limited English
By Alice Chang and Dubis Correal and Holly Zaharchuk More than one out of every 12 people over the age of five in the U.S. are limited English proficient (LEP), meaning that they speak English less than very well, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey One-Year Estimates. LEP consumers may…
Federal Reserve: Speech | Where Do Consumers Fit in the FinTech Stack?
Where Do Consumers Fit in the Fintech Stack? Governor Lael Brainard The new generation of fintech tools offers the potential to help consumers manage their increasingly complicated financial lives, but also poses risks that will need to be managed as the marketplace matures.1 In many ways, the new generation of fintech tools can be seen…
CFPB: Report Finds Sharp Increase in Riskier Longer-Term Auto Loans
Six-Year Auto Loans Carry Higher Costs and Higher Default Rates than Five-Year Auto Loans The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today released a report on auto loan trends that found a sharp increase in riskier longer-term auto loans. According to the report, 42 percent of auto loans made in the last year carried a payback…
ABA: Foundation Releases Inaugural Survey Detailing Bank Efforts to Serve and Protect Seniors
In recognition of Family Caregivers Month, the ABA Foundation released its inaugural Older Americans Benchmarking Report, an unprecedented survey detailing how banks across the country are working with seniors and their financial caregivers to address the growing threat of elder financial fraud. To produce the report, the ABA Foundation surveyed 103 banks of all sizes…
ABA Report: Credit Card Market Expands in Second Quarter, Mirroring Economic Growth
Credit card use continued to expand in the second quarter, according to the American Bankers Association’s latest Credit Card Market Monitor. Monthly purchase volumes rebounded after a seasonal decline in the first quarter, rising by 9 percent across risk tiers. On an annual basis, purchase volumes rose 4.9 percent for prime accounts and 5.2 percent…