Today’s podcast features the first part of a recent webinar produced on September 3, 2025, which examined the key provisions of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins, or GENIUS, Act (the Act) and its regulatory impact on banks, Fintechs and the future of stablecoins. The discussion covers critical definitions, licensing, oversight and enforcement requirements, and the relationship to state stablecoin laws.… Continue Reading
Fintech
Today’s podcast episode: Recent Consumer Financial Services Developments at the Federal Trade Commission
We are pleased to share a new podcast episode, which was taken from our September 9, 2025, webinar featuring Malini Mithal, Associate Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Division of Financial Practices. Malini has been a valued guest on our podcast in past years, and this session provided another timely and insightful discussion.… Continue Reading
Today’s podcast episode: New Consumer Financial Services Fintech Business Opportunities Arising from Deregulation at the CFPB during Trump 2.0 – Part 2
Today’s podcast episode is a continuation of a previous repurposed webinar held on August 12th, focusing on emerging opportunities in the consumer financial services sector under the Trump administration. The session aims to provide insights into the evolving regulatory landscape and its implications for businesses and consumers. The first part of the webinar, released last Thursday, September 4, covered the recently passed GENIUS Act (which creates a federal infrastructure for Stablecoin); developments in crypto-backed lending and credit builder loans; the mortgage industry; developments in earned wage access and rent-to-own and lease-to-own financing products; and insights on income share agreements.… Continue Reading
Today’s podcast episode: New Consumer Financial Services Fintech Business Opportunities Arising from Deregulation at the CFPB during Trump 2.0 – Part 1
In the latest episode of our podcast, we explore the significant shifts in the regulatory landscape under the second Trump administration and how these recent deregulatory actions have opened new pathways for banks and FinTech companies by reducing barriers to entry and compliance costs. This evolving environment presents opportunities for innovation and market expansion, although state law oversight, including licensing and regulatory requirements, cloud the picture.… Continue Reading
Today’s Podcast: Banking as a Service
Our podcast show today features Jason Mikula, publisher of Fintech Business Weekly; a newsletter going beyond the headlines to analyze the technology, regulatory and business model trends, driving the rapidly evolving financial services ecosystem at the intersection of traditional banking, payments, FinTech and crypto. We discuss his recently released book, titled “Banking as a Service: Opportunities, Challenges, and Risks of New Banking Business Models” (Kogan Page 2024).… Continue Reading
Witnesses Tell House Subcommittee That Regulators Risk Hampering Fintech-Bank Partnerships
Federal and state regulators risk stifling competition as they continue to develop a regulatory regime for fintech relationships with financial institutions, witnesses told a House subcommittee last week.
“We hope that Congress continues to monitor the regulatory agencies to assure that regulation or regulation through enforcement of these relationships and products doesn’t increase unnecessarily,” Steve Trager, executive chair of Republic Bank & Trust Company in Louisville, Ky.,… Continue Reading
Bank-Fintech partnership to be scrutinized again
The Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee will hold a field hearing in Lexington KY on this coming Friday, July 12 at 10 am, ET to discuss “Financial Institution-Fintech Partnerships: Leveraging Third-Party Relationships to Increase Access to Financial Services.” Speakers have not yet been announced.… Continue Reading
Recent FDIC consent orders show increased scrutiny of bank relationships with fintech partners
In February 2024, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) entered into consent orders with two banks who partner with fintechs to offer “banking as a service” (BaaS) related to safety and soundness, compliance with applicable laws, and third party oversight. BaaS refers to arrangements in which banks integrate their banking products and services into the services of non-bank third-party distributors and the distributors deliver the integrated banking services directly to the customer. … Continue Reading
OCC risk perspective report focuses on third-party relationships with fintechs
In its Fall 2023 Semiannual Risk Perspective, published on December 7, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) reported on key issues facing the federal banking system. In evaluating the overall soundness of the federal banking system, the OCC emphasized the need for banks to maintain prudent risk management practices. … Continue Reading
FDIC consent order with Cross River Bank indicates heightened scrutiny of bank-fintech partnerships
The FDIC recently announced that it has entered into a Consent Order with Cross River Bank (CRB or Bank) to resolve FDIC charges that the Bank engaged in unsafe or unsound practices related to its fair lending compliance. (The Consent Order was issued in March 2023 but not made public until the end of last month.) … Continue Reading