Banking

Cambodia’s Prince Bank Plc. has a short history but has made a large impact. Starting as a private microfinance firm in 2015, it has since evolved into a consummate commercial bank dedicated to achieving its vision of being its customers’ financial institution of choice, expertly exploiting digital channels, as CEO Honn Sorachna explains.

A U.S. Senate committee report uncovered thousands of cases of peer-to-peer platform Zelle’s customers being deceived into making fraudulent payments. As Zelle’s consortium of bank owners refuses to share financial data with Congress or compensate victims, questions about the efficacy of laws regulating electronic fund transfers persist.

Central banks are searching for opportunities to include financial innovations in their plans as the global financial system becomes increasingly digital. A CBDC, an instant payment system, an Open Finance model and internationalization through foreign-exchange laws are all part of Agenda BC# introduced by the Central Bank of Brazil.

Digitalization has ushered in a host of innovations that have greatly improved the banking customer’s experience but also empowered a multitude of nonbanking firms that have largely escaped the regulatory perimeter in which traditional banks must operate. The OCC is working to ensure a fair, safe and agile banking industry as it evolves.

With the pandemic’s capital market and dealmaking frenzy a memory, the banking industry is undergoing belt-tightening amid rising interest rates. While the 2008 financial crisis saw massive layoffs, banks have been reluctant to engage in similar job cuts. Can lenders ride out the next few months without relinquishing significant talent?

KBC Group is well regarded as Europe’s premier bank-insurance group, seeking to provide a universal service to customers that saves them time and money in various aspects of their lives. In our interview, CEO Johan Thijs explains how the Group not only changes with its customers but proactively anticipates their future needs.

Despite its importance to operations, treasury management still relies on legacy systems, left behind as banks race to exploit technology in building next-generation infrastructure. What are the eight ways that banks can develop forward-looking treasury-management systems that enable them to grow their businesses nationally and globally?

For years, countries grew familiar with an environment of low inflation, low rates and loose monetary policy. That environment was upended as high inflation returned with a vengeance, biting sharply into living standards and swiftly reversing central banks’ goals. With no easy solutions available, policymakers are left with hard choices.

Malaysia was insulated from climate change and its effects until the last couple of decades when devastating floods ravaged the country. Malaysia has committed to net zero as early as 2050, but this resolve must be supported by corresponding determination from the financial sector to channel resources to the green transition.

International banking regulations have grown stiffer and more complicated over the past 15 years since the Global Financial Crisis, affecting international banks disproportionately and putting them at competitive disadvantages with local banks, in contrast with the initial intention of the Basel Committee. Four lines of action are suggested to ensure a fair playing field for all banks.