Policy

Valuable Change for US Notes

07.13.2010
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The Federal Register has published for public comment changes to United States Federal Reserve Notes to make them accessible to the blind and the visually impaired, knowing that the alterations will financially affect some ATM owners and operators.

“The purpose of this Federal Register notice is to inform the public of the features the Bureau of Engraving and Printing intends to propose to the Secretary of the Treasury to accommodate people who are blind and visually impaired and to solicit public comment on the proposed accommodation,” the Federal Register wrote in the proposal titled, “Meaningful Access To United States Currency for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons.”

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Counterfeit Deterrence – Beating the Criminal Element

07.06.2010
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Call it human nature, but ever since the invention of paper money, people have tried to imitate and counterfeit it. The result has been an unending race between issuing authorities and perpetrators. This article, which is based on my contributions to the Banknote 2009 and 2010 Currency conferences, is a review of how authorities have historically tried to deter counterfeiting and how they have responded to new threats. From this perspective, I will then explain the role of the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group (CBCDG) and its activities, concluding with a short assessment of recent developments in counterfeit production techniques and how to address future threats.

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US Government to Audit the FRB

05.12.2010
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It was announced yesterday afternoon that the US Senate approved (96-0) a one-time audit of the Federal Reserve System. Specifically the audit will investigate the Federal Reserve’s economic crisis response programs. We suspect that this will also likely include a review of cash reserves and inventory distributions.

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Parting Thought on the FDIC Study….and 2009

12.21.2009

So you’ve heard me rail on about the unbanked and underbanked for the last couple of weeks and I’m not quite ready to let it go. In addition to outlining the results of the FDIC study, I’d also like to give one final thought on what we as banks do about it.

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Overdraft Fees or ATM Fees – which would you prefer?

11.30.2009
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Following from Nicole’s post about the choices US banks are facing in their replacement of overdraft fees comes news from UK banks regarding their choice pending final court rulings on overdraft fees there. With traditional straight back and stiff upper lip, the UK banking industry is prepared to answer the demise of overdraft fees with a reinstatement of ATM fees. Said one UK banking spokesperson, “We are an industry, not a charity. People have to remember that it does not cost nothing.”.

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New Overdraft Regs Are Coming — So What Do We Do About It?

11.23.2009
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Brendan gave a great outline of the new overdraft fee regulations coming into effect in the US in 2010. Given, these are the new Fed rules and we haven’t yet heard what the damage will be from legislation pending in Congress, but at least we have something to work toward now. But what does that mean? In my estimation, banks have four options for how to address the new legislation.

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Overdraft Reform – who wins and who loses?

11.18.2009
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The news hit the wire late last week and now it is official. For those of you who don’t live in the US, a little background before we start. There has been great discussion and debate at the Federal Reserve Bank about changing some of the service fee allowances that financial institutions are allowed to levy their customers. Like other countries (Australia for one, regarding ATM interchange fees) the United States banking regulators have seen the need to start regulating how customers are charged for some of their banking services.

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defining and regulating systemically important institutions

08.12.2009

As readers will know I have noted with interest the gestation of proposed financial institution regulatory and policy changes. First was the question of Who would be made responsible; would it be just one government department?; more than one?; would non-government bodies be involved? After that question was settled we moved on to What were they going to do, to Whom and How? These are the threatening three questions that (in my humble opinion) still cause affected professionals to lose much sleep.

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the new single regulator for banks

06.17.2009

Don’t hold your breath just yet, but I think the US Administration may be getting ready to announce the new primary regulator for the banking industry – the Federal Reserve! There are also a few more moves being telegraphed ahead of tomorrow’s announcement.

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banking on tomorrow in the US – sole-source policy control

06.02.2009

According to a number of stories in recent media (new an traditional) the US Treasury with support from other concerned interests is about to propose what could amount to paradigm shift for the banking industry. According to reports, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and others will be sponsoring a proposal to Congress for the creation of a new government agency whose responsibility will be as the ultimate and only banking sector regulator.

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making change – two dollars, twenty pesos, 300 renminbi … and swine flu?

05.06.2009

“I got it from my wallet?” – or at least what was in it. According to current research there is some possibility, within a relatively short period of time, that a flu virus could be passed from an infected person to a healthy one via common cash/currency. With the current alerts from the World Health Organization and the commonality of international travel it is no wonder that we have a growing fear that perhaps our money could make us sick.

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