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Banking

Vol. 24, No. 2,
Second Quarter 2011

Articles

Dispelling Myths about Mobile Payments

Atlanta Fed CEO Endorses Setting Inflation Target

Fed Chair Addresses Financial Regulation

Fed Gov. Duke on Financial Literacy

Atlanta Fed Releases 2010 Annual Report

Fed Proposes Rule on Mortgage Lending, Repaying

Fed Chair Bernanke Discusses Community Banks

Fed Gov. Raskin on Banks and Supervision

Fed Clarifies Consumer Protections

Departments

Financial Update Focus

Editor's Note: This publication is posted on a rolling schedule and content will be added throughout the quarter.

Updated June 23, 2011

Atlanta Fed Exec Dispels Mobile Payments Myths
6/23/2011 - The emerging mobile payments system is surrounded by misconceptions. An Atlanta Fed executive recently attempted to demystify mobile payments, touting their benefits and suggesting ways in which banks and merchants can help their customers get comfortable with them.

Atlanta Fed President Lockhart Endorses Explicit Inflation Target
6/23/2011 - In a recent speech, Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart said the establishment of an inflation target would help policymakers more clearly communicate the Fed's inflation objectives to the public. He said other central banks sometimes use inflation targets to help explain their inflation forecasts.

Fed Chairman: Macroprudential Regulation a "Major Innovation"
5/31/2011 - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke recently discussed the Fed's approach to financial regulation embodied in the Dodd-Frank Act, saying that the regulatory strategy makes the nation's financial oversight regime better suited to adapt to future changes in the financial industry.

Fed Gov. Duke Stresses Financial Literacy
5/31/2011 - Federal Reserve Governor Elizabeth Duke recently discussed the importance of making sound financial decisions, noting that a person's choices don't only affect the individual but also the broader economy.

2010 Annual Report Explores Southeastern Economic Recovery
5/31/2011 - The Atlanta Fed's 2010 annual report examines the halting progress in the region's long recovery from the recession that lasted from December 2007 to June 2009. It explores why the Southeast has fared comparatively worse than the nation as a whole and what the Atlanta Fed did to better grasp the complex realities of today's economy.

Federal Reserve Proposes Ability-to-Repay Rules for Mortgages
4/30/2011 - The Federal Reserve recently proposed a rule that would require lenders to determine a consumer's ability to repay a mortgage. The rule would apply to all consumer mortgages except home equity lines of credit, timeshare plans, reverse mortgages, or temporary loans.

Fed Chairman Bernanke Discusses Community Banking Challenges, Recovery
4/21/2011 - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke recently discussed the blow community banks took in the financial crisis and economic downturn, but he also noted their recovery and the ongoing vital role smaller financial institutions are playing in the economic recovery.

Banks, Supervisors Must Balance Responsibilities, Says Fed Governor Raskin
4/21/2011 - Striking an appropriate balance of responsibilities between banks and supervisors is a key step toward effective bank supervision, Federal Reserve Governor Sarah Bloom Raskin said in a recent speech. She emphasized banks' fundamental role in the financial system's resilience.

Federal Reserve Issues Rule Clarifying Consumer Protections
4/21/2011 - A recent rule issued by the Fed enhances protections for credit card users. The provisions are intended, among other things, to prevent consumers from incurring unaffordable levels of debt and to impose limitations on application fees charged to new account holders.