Banking with Interest

John Hope Bryant, the founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, the largest not-for-profit provider of financial literacy and financial inclusion, details his ambitious plan to confront economic inequality. He also talks about the legacy of banks and slavery—and what banks need to be doing to deal with that.  

Karen Shaw Petrou, managing partner of Federal Financial Analytics, who has been hailed as “the sharpest mind analyzing bank policy today,” says banks and policymakers need to focus on economic inequality before it’s too late. She discusses her proposed solution and what happens if we don’t act in time.

The crisis has forced customers to change how they bank—and that’s creating opportunities for banks ready to seize them, according to Elizabeth Wolverton, the chief strategy and customer experience officer at Synovus Bank in Columbus, Georgia. Liz also discusses why inclusion and diversity are so important to the industry’s future.

Acting Comptroller Brian Brooks talks about a new project aimed at helping with economic inclusion and the role of banks in combating economic inequality. He also discusses his plans for a federal charter for payment companies and explains why he warned mayors around the country about possible credit problems at banks if small businesses are not allowed to reopen and responds to criticism of the recently-finalized Community Reinvestment Act reform rule.

John Dugan, the chairman of Citigroup’s board of directors, says the future of banking turns on the industry’s pandemic performance. It will affect how regulators oversee them, how shareholders invest, and how the public feels about banks. The former Comptroller of the Currency doesn’t underestimate the challenges, but he is optimistic that banking will emerge from this crisis with its reputation enhanced.

Hans Morris, the managing partner of Nyca Partners and the chairman of Lending Club, discusses the impact the COVID crisis is having on fintechs and how the financial services sector is likely to evolve.

The former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and author of the book “Watchdog” talks about the financial risks posed to consumers during the current crisis and what steps policymakers should be taking to address them. He also offers his predictions on what a pending Supreme Court ruling could mean for the CFPB and reveals why the Trump administration balked from ousting him while he was the agency’s leader.

Tim Massad, a top Obama administration financial regulator and former head of TARP, says we should look to actions taken by the Roosevelt administration to reframe the government’s response to the coronavirus. He also discusses whether the U.S. needs its own digital currency, why we lag behind on real-time payments and how airlines got a sweetheart deal.

Noah Wilcox, the chairman of the ICBA and CEO of two Minnesota community banks, talks about the disastrous relaunch of PPP, what policymakers need to do going forward, and how community banks are faring overall during the crisis.

Harit Talwar, the head of digital finance for Goldman Sachs, talks about how customers are changing their financial activity in response to the coronavirus. He also discusses Marcus' new app, provides details about its partnerships with Apple and JetBlue, and hints where it is headed next.