How mail theft fuels the check-fraud boom
ABA Banking Journal Podcast
The big story of check fraud is not only its vast cost to the country and to individual victims, but simply the remarkable rate at which it is increasing. On this episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast — presented by — we bring you a conversation from the ABA Fraudcast with ABA’s Paul Benda and Caitlin Piasecki of the United States Postal Inspection Service the enormous scale and challenge of addressing mail theft, a common venue for criminals to access paper checks. Piasecki describes how the internet serves as a perfect sharing and recruiting platform for criminals...
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The pinnacle of American politics: The life and career of Charles Dawes, part 2
ABA Banking Journal Podcast
A century ago, in March 1925, Charles G. Dawes was sworn in as vice president of the United States. Being elected vice president of the United States — as Dawes was, alongside Calvin Coolidge, in a landslide — is usually a career pinnacle for an American politician, but Dawes’ vice presidency turned out to be more of a footnote in his eventful life. In the second part of this two-part podcast series — presented by — Dawes biographer Annette Dunlap explores Dawes’ service as head of logistics for the American Expeditionary Force in World War I (an organizational feat never...
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The rise of a celebrated American banker: The life and career of Charles Dawes, part 1
ABA Banking Journal Podcast
A century ago, in March 1925, Charles G. Dawes was sworn in as vice president of the United States. Being elected vice president of the United States — as Dawes was, alongside Calvin Coolidge, in a landslide — is usually a career pinnacle for an American politician, but Dawes’ vice presidency turned out to be more of a footnote in his eventful life. In the first part of this two-part podcast series — presented by — Dawes biographer Annette Dunlap walks listeners through Dawes’ early life, his big ideas in banking and his service as comptroller of the currency, and how he built up...
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Bowling 300 on bank policy advocacy
ABA Banking Journal Podcast
In rural southeastern New Mexico, bank CEO and varsity bowling coach Ken Clayton often takes his team on 500-mile one-day roundtrips for bowling tournaments. For Clayton, that commitment to going the distance is also what community banking is about. On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast — presented by — Clayton discusses what makes community banks like his tick. And as chair of ABA’s Government Relations Council, he also talks about ABA’s legislative and regulatory priorities for the year ahead, including tax reform and Subchapter S, regulatory challenges...
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How having joint accounts improves couples’ relationships
ABA Banking Journal Podcast
A recent article in the New York Times — “” — explores scholarly evidence for the benefits of couples’ combining their bank accounts. The article features the insights of Indiana University marketing professor Jenny Olson, who appeared in 2023 on the ABA Banking Journal Podcast. For a special Valentine’s Day episode, we bring back that classic podcast episode — sponsored by — in which Olson discusses on joint accounts and couples’ well-being. Olson and her colleagues randomly assigned new couples to one of three conditions for a two-year period: using...
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The real story on CRE risk management
ABA Banking Journal Podcast
On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast — presented by — ABA’s Jeff Huther and Sharon Whitaker rebut a false narrative about how banks are managing commercial real estate credit risk. Expanding on a , they explore why measures of distress and undercapitalization used by the New York Fed and some in the media are inconsistent with common definitions and ignore bank-borrower relationships, accounting principles and valuation techniques. “We’re now almost three years past the last shock to the sector, and people have had a lot of time to kind of think...
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One community bank’s fight against a mass text scam
ABA Banking Journal Podcast
Today's episode features a crossover from ABA's brand new podcast series: ABA Fraudcast: Cyber and Fraud with Paul Benda. Community banks can be targets of large-scale fraud, just like larger banks. On the inaugural episode of the ABA Fraudcast, former ABA Chair Dan Robb, president and CEO of Jonesburg State Bank in Missouri, describes the recent targeting of his bank by fraudsters who texted thousands of residents of his community, seeking access to customer accounts. What followed for Robb and his team were fast lessons on all the areas his bank was prepared for, and a few challenges that...
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How boards can position their banks to navigate change
ABA Banking Journal Podcast
From AI and crypto to complex regulatory challenges and increasingly diverse markets, bank executives face increasingly complex strategic decisions — and so do bank boards as they set and oversee the strategic direction for their banks. And yet, the average age of bank directors is 76, and many do not have expertise in these critical challenges affecting banks. On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast, veteran bank board members and executives Jenn Docherty and Virginia Varela discuss how bank boards can position their banks for success in a challenging environment. They...
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The behavioral psychology of the Christmas savings club
ABA Banking Journal Podcast
In this holiday bonus episode — — host Evan Sparks digs into the Banking Journal archives to learn more about the “Christmas Club” savings vehicle, and what this financial product says about human psychology and behavioral economics. .
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Making the feeling ‘mutual’ for a new generation of bank customers
ABA Banking Journal Podcast
“Well, your money’s in Joe’s house, that’s right next to yours. And in the Kennedy House, and Mrs. Macklin’s house, and, and a hundred others. Why, you’re lending them the money to build, and then, they’re going to pay it back to you as best they can.” Seventy-eight years ago, George Bailey memorably explained the operation of a mutual savings and loan to a national audience in It’s a Wonderful Life. But while today’s bankers understand mutuality, do today’s potential clients? On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast...
info_outlineThe big story of check fraud is not only its vast cost to the country and to individual victims, but simply the remarkable rate at which it is increasing. On this episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast — presented by nCino — we bring you a conversation from the ABA Fraudcast with ABA’s Paul Benda and Caitlin Piasecki of the United States Postal Inspection Service the enormous scale and challenge of addressing mail theft, a common venue for criminals to access paper checks.
Piasecki describes how the internet serves as a perfect sharing and recruiting platform for criminals aiming to get their hands on as many paper checks as possible. Encrypted platforms are where criminal organizations in New Jersey can easily connect with those operating in Los Angeles, she notes. “We have seen a huge influx in the complex nature these investigations have taken, where previously it was a local group in a local area,” she says.