#Visa – Federal Financial Analytics

13 02, 2024

DAILY021324

Eliza Allen2024-02-13T17:42:19-05:00February 13th, 2024|2- Daily Briefing|

Durbin Tries Another Approach to Advance Card-Fee Limits

After trying various ways to bring his credit-card fee bill to the floor, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair and Majority Leader Durbin (D-IL) has scheduled a hearing on this controversial bipartisan measure (see FSM Report INTERCHANGE10).

FinCEN Reaches SEC Agreement to Bring Investment Advisers Under AML/CFT Standards

As it has repeatedly promised, FinCEN today revised a 2015 proposal and issued a new one to subject investment advisers to AML and CFT requirements similar to, but still less restrictive than, those that have long governed banks.

HFSC Rallies to Crypto AML/CFT Defense

The HFSC staff memo on Thursday’s Digital-Assets Subcommittee hearing makes it clear that cryptoasset entities will be given a strong platform from which to resist calls in the Senate to subject cryptoasset transactions to AML and sanctions law.

Gensler Reinforces AI Concerns

In remarks today, SEC Chair Gensler acknowledged AI’s benefits in a manner consistent with the President’s executive order (see Client Report AI3), but then launched into a sharp critique of its risks in line with the agency’s pending rule in this arena.

Bowman Takes Fed Accountability, Transparency to Task

In an essay today, FRB Gov. Bowman emphasized that regulatory accountability does not undermine the independence also essential to a sound, innovative banking system.

Gensler Turns to Bank/Hedge-Fund Interconnection

In addition to his speech on AI earlier today, SEC Chair Gensler today engaged in a wide-ranging discussion of key financial policy questions.

Daily021324.pdf…

14 09, 2023

DAILY091423

Eliza Allen2023-09-14T16:47:09-04:00September 14th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

IOSCO Proposes Leveraged Loan, CLO Best Practices

IOSCO today released a consultation report proposing best practices for leveraged loans and CLOs that address origination and refinancing, EBITDA and documentation transparency, aligning interests from loan origination to end investors, managing conflicts of interest throughout the intermediation chain, and disclosures.

Durbin, Marshall Press Credit-Card Interchange Bill

Reiterating concerns expressed last month and comments yesterday on the Senate floor, Senate Whip and Judiciary Chairman Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Marshall (R-KS) were joined this time by Sen. Welch (D-VT) and four House Members calling on Visa and Mastercard to reverse planned fee hikes.

GAO Presses for FSOC Power to Regulate, Not Just Designate

The GAO today issued a report recommending that Congress consider legislation allowing FSOC to compel regulatory action, arguing that this would better accomplish the Council’s mission because FSOC currently has limited power to respond to systemic risk.

HFSC GOP Highlight CBDC Privacy Concerns

As anticipated, HFSC Digital Assets GOP Members continued their staunch opposition to a U.S. CBDC, with Subcommittee Chairman Hill (R-AR) and Majority Whip Emmer (R-MN) asserting that private innovation can modernize payments without the risk of government surveillance.

Brown Doubles Down on Opposition to House Crypto Bill

Making it still more clear that he is not supportive of pending House cryptoasset legislation, Senate Banking Chairman Brown (D-OH) today sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Yellen, SEC Chairman Gensler, and CFTC Chairman Benham asking for views on where new authority may be needed.

Daily091423.pdf…

1 09, 2023

DAILY090123

Eliza Allen2023-09-01T12:18:22-04:00September 1st, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

Durbin, Marshall Reinforce Demand for Card-Fee Cuts

Pressing their bill to limit credit-card interchange fees (see FSM Report INTERCHANGE10), Senate Whip and Judiciary Chairman Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Marshall (R-KS) this week called on Visa and Mastercard to reverse planned fee hikes. Sen. Durbin is pressing hard to attach the bill to a must-pass vehicle later this month; as noted, it would extend routing-system requirements to credit cards and could lead to significant reductions in card-fee income for banks.

GSIB Surcharge Revisions in Register

The Federal Register today includes the Federal Reserve’s proposal to revise how systemic risk scores that lead to GSIB designation are calculated. As noted (see FSM Report GSIB22), while the Board estimates that the overall impacts of the changes to the surcharge are small, our analysis concludes that the scoring changes could result in higher capital requirements for large regional banks and certain IHCs.

Daily090123.pdf…

11 08, 2022

INTERCHANGE10

Arezou Rafikian2023-01-04T12:45:54-05:00August 11th, 2022|1- Financial Services Management|

Credit-Card Networks

Two senators have reopened questions about the manner in which card-related payments are handled, tackling those applicable to credit cards with a bill mandating that merchants must be given a network choice that is not either Visa or Mastercard in order to, the sponsors argue, increase competition and lower credit-card transaction costs. Although the multi-network requirement would apply only to banks with assets over $100 billion, it would likely have the effect of lowering swipe fees across the sector because exempt banks would be compelled by market forces to find lower-cost networks. The extent to which these lower-cost networks are also sound and resilient under stress is uncertain as no safety-and-soundness or operational requirements directly apply to card-processing networks.

INTERCHANGE10.pdf…