Bankshot

Europe has encouraged adoption with rules that put consumers in control of the way their data is shared among banks, fintechs and third-party vendors. Whether the U.S. can make similar progress without its own rules is unclear.

Regulators around the world are exploring how to assess banks' exposures to climate change risks. But they'll have to tackle legal, economic and modeling problems that don't have obvious solutions.

Looming defaults and the potential for heavier regulatory scrutiny have prompted banks to pull back from the sector. Is that a good thing?

Retail investors revolted against institutional investors by buying heavily shorted stocks in January, reanimating regulatory concerns about short selling and market manipulation. But is shorting a check on speculation, or a driver of it?

The Federal Reserve has the authority to lend to nonbanks in an emergency, and it isn't afraid to use it. But is that authority too broad — or too narrow?

Like in the industries its reporters cover, the lack of Black representation in business and financial media has created blind spots. Predominantly white newsrooms often miss stories about systemic racism or fail to reach an audience of more than one demographic. In the wake of this summer's Black Lives Matter protests, there are serious implications for financial services, the reporters covering them — and an emerging group of professionals creating their own media. What can journalists like us learn from these Black voices?

Asset and capital allocations often exacerbate systemic racism across the financial services in some surprising ways. Innovators in the fields of asset management, banking, impact investing and pensions suggest there are also many ways to disrupt the cycle. Shifting the flow of capital could help reduce or eliminate institutional barriers and racial discrimination.

President-elect Joe Biden will likely have to contend with a Republican-controlled Senate. That could have important implications for his approach to financial services policy.

The lack of Black representation in the financial services stems from two interconnected problems. Black professionals face significant hurdles once they break into the industry. And the presence of nearly 175,000 Black financial professionals displays that their widespread absence at the upper executive ranks isn't a product of there being an insufficient talent pool.

The success of some fintechs in getting bank charters this year only underscores how onerous the process remains for many others. That's unlikely to change unless policymakers reconsider what it means to be a bank.