Consumer groups are speaking out against a Senate measure that would overturn the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s auto lending regulation. Sixty-four consumer groups oppose the Senate vote, explaining that Congress should have reviewed the guidance when it was first issued by the CFPB in 2013. Two auto-safety related organizations — Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety and the Center for Auto Safety — were among the groups that signed the letter. MORE

As Priceline Group focuses in on its hotel and home rental business, the online travel company announced it had changed its name on Wednesday (Feb. It is now known as Booking Holdings, according to CNBC reports. As a result, the company will change its NASDAQ ticker from PCLN to BKNG. Priceline grew during the dot-com era, when it ran advertisements promoting its “name your price” feature for booking flights, then went on an acquisition binge following the dot-com’s crash. MORE

Web Financial Group, a data-driven managed service solutions provider, and Selerity, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered contextual search and automation company, announced Wednesday (April 19) they have partnered on content personalization solutions for the digital wealth market. Utilizing Web Financial Group’s products, Selerity’s AI can be integrated into client platforms to provide an intuitive, personalized workflow for retail investors. MORE

Every group of friends has a social director, Fevo CEO Ari Daie told Karen Webster in this week’s Matchmakers conversation – that one person who organizes the cats and gets a group of otherwise passive adults organized for a game, concert or weekend trip. They have to organize the group, figure out when everyone is free, what they want to pay for tickets and then how to purchase that block of tickets for the group. [link]. MORE

23) a number of global banks joining forces to create the first interbank group for global payments based on distributed ledger technology. According to a press release , Ripple said Bank of America Merrill Lynch , Santander, UniCredit, Standard Chartered, Westpac Banking Corporation and Royal Bank of Canada are the founding members of the organization, known as the Global Payments Steering Group (GPSG). MORE

The group appointed Simon Walker to lead the review, which will specifically look at the way banks handle complaints filed by small business borrowers. Reports said the group aims to develop alternative solutions to dispute resolution and to address the needs of both banks and small businesses when mitigating. MORE

Wells Fargo announced on Tuesday (May 22) that Steve Ellis, head of the innovation group, will retire after nearly 31 years with the company. In a press release , the national bank said that in September, Lisa Frazier will become head of the group, which is in charge of accelerating Wells Fargo’s creation and delivery of next-generation products and services. In addition, she has served as an advisor to the ANZ Banking Group and Citi FinTech. “I MORE

16) calling on financial services trade groups to condemn Bannon’s appointment. The open letter to the financial services trade groups focused on some of his most “egregious” comments concerning women, African-Americans, Hispanics, Jews and Muslims and his purported ties to the white nationalist movement. Post-Election Donald Trump financial services Steve Bannon trade groups What's Hot MORE

Mastercard has announced the list of startup companies chosen to participate in its Mastercard Start Path program, a group the company is calling its “most diverse class” ever. Mastercard revealed the list in a recent announcement, including startups that span a range of verticals. Those partaking in the program, which aims to support later-stage FinTech and technology startups, total 11 firms selected from five countries. MORE

Booking a group trip on Airbnb just got easier: Users now have the ability to split payments with their fellow travelers. A recent poll from Airbnb found that 43 percent of users have lost $1,000 or more in repayments from group trips, 18 percent say they’ve lost $10,000 or more from not getting repaid after group trips and 29 percent have fought with a friend over group trip repayment. MORE

A representative of Fosun Group, which, at $13.1 Commerce Corporate Cryptocurrency Exclusive Insurance Payments Security Startups Antshares BlockChain cryptocurrency Fosun Group Onchain technology MORE

The Dalumi Group, the Israeli diamond enterprise, announced Monday (Nov. In a press release , The Dalumi Group said Zoara.com has sales in more than 40 countries around the globe and is a main player in the online sales of loose diamonds, diamond engagement rings and diamond jewelry. In a press release, Blue Nile said, in the all-cash deal, an investor group will buy all of Blue Nile’s outstanding shares for around $500 million. MORE

Separately, Facebook said it is also rolling out Stories for Groups and Events , which will enable users to add posts that the rest of the group can view. Users will see Stories on their Event and Group pages, as well as at the top of their News Feeds, and will also be able to post while inside Events and Groups. Facebook’s Groups are focused on specific topics, such as hobbies, professions and locations. MORE

Created in 2017, the API Standardization Industry Group has begun developing an application program interface (API) standardization “playbook” to help enhance support for payments and the business needs of financial institutions, companies, FinTechs and other industry stakeholders and participants. NACHA and the Industry Group believe one of the biggest challenges is a lack of standardization. MORE

Small business group SME Alliance spoke to the House of Commons select committee to discuss small firms’ ongoing challenges in seeking bank loans. Traditional banks remain reluctant to lend to small firms, the group said, using their size to gain a legal advantage over SMBs that file complaints with FIs. small businesses continue to struggle with access to bank funding, according to reports in Financial Times on Friday (March 30). MORE

A second hacking group is targeting banks through the Swift Inerbank Messaging system, according to a report out from cyber-security firm Symnatec yesterday (Oct. The group is leveraging similar but distinct tactics from the group that orchestrated an $81 million hack of Bangladesh’s Central Bank earlier this year. Odinaff, on the other hand, appears to be a financially motivated criminal group, according to Symantec. MORE

Exchange operator CME Group has announced plans to launch bitcoin futures in the fourth quarter. Cryptocurrency Exclusive Online Payments Bitcoin bitcoin futures CME Group cryptocurrency futures MORE

More than 20,000 members strong, there is a Facebook group dedicated to Walmart employees, who swap similar stories, experience, questions and answers. Retail app labor labor group social media walmartJust in time for the holidays, Walmart employees are being lured to download a smartphone-based social media app aimed at advocating for better pay and labor benefits. But Walmart reps say it is advocating against employees logging on to the platform. MORE

Facebook just made splitting the check at dinner easier with the announcement that Messenger can now support group payments. According to TechCrunch , the free service, which for now is only available on Android and desktop, will allow users to pay either everyone in the group or individual members through a simple click of the payments icon (aka the dollar sign). A message will appear in the group chat to show who has paid. MORE

Global seamless payment technology provider Ingenico Group recently announced an acquisition that will expand its footprint in the Ukraine. Ingenico Group recently acquired the Systems of Secure Transactions (SST) business unit from its long-time partner and distributor in the Ukraine Bancomzvjazok JSC (BKC). SST will reportedly be integrated into Ingenico Group’s Banks & Acquirers business unit. “We MORE

Question: I am currently considering joining a networking group. This group limits members to one from each industry, however, when I attended the first introductory meeting there were three other bankers who wanted to join. Q&A on Networking Groups. MORE

Today Lloyds Banking Group confirmed it has banned customers from buying bitcoin with their credit cards. EXCLUSIVE – Add one more to the mix. The move comes only days after U.S. banks including Bank of America, Citi, and JPMorgan Chase have done the same. MORE

A coalition of consumer groups are planning to file a complaint with the U.S. The groups contend the technology violates the privacy of the social media platform’s users, Reuters reported. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over Facebook ’s use of facial recognition to tag photos. The scanning of facial images without express, affirmative consent is unlawful and must be enjoined,” Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) said. MORE

to Ingenico Group ’s Telium Semi-Integrated solution. Ingenico Group has helped KFC U.S. To provide customers with a fast and secure payment solution no matter where they pay, KFC uses a mix of Ingenico Group’s iSC250 and iPP350 smart terminals at the counter and iPP350 smart terminals for its drive-thrus. With Ingenico Group, the quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain was able to transition from a fully-integrated to semi-integrated model. MORE

Gene Ludwig, the CEO and founder of Promontory Financial Group , recently sat down with Bloomberg Law in a wide-ranging interview to discuss his predictions for the future of RegTech, blockchain, and where he sees the markets going in the next three to five years. MORE

A group of progressive advocacy groups, including MoveOn and Demand Progress, is calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to break up Facebook in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. The groups contend that by doing so, they will gain the ability to communicate across social networks while also having strong privacy rules in place to protect consumers. MORE

Demographic groupings make sense. They offer insight into what consumers are buying so pitches can be customized, helping to avoid unnecessarily selling apparel and accessories to demographic groups that don’t buy them. Millennials are branching off into two groups: younger consumers just starting out, and “bridge” consumers who have entered their prime spending years. MORE

A new plan, titled “Sheltered Harbor,” was unveiled by the primary trade groups that represent the financial services sector to help standardize data storage for retail accounts and strengthen cybersecurity defenses. The Wall Street Journal reported that the plan is designed to help better protect the accounts of depositors and investors from cyberattacks. MORE

Bank Innovation is launching a Meetup group, where we plan to organize networking events, with insightful panels and (of course) happy hours. Are you a tech enthusiast? A banking professional? A developer, or a blockchain champion? We want to meet you! MORE

Discover Global Network, the unit of Discover Financial Services, announced Wednesday (May 24) it has entered into an agreement with Desjardins Group, the cooperative financial group in Canada, through its Monetico payment solutions to expand acceptance in Canada. Payment Methods canada credit card Desjardins Group Discover discover global network News What's Hot MORE

It was announced today that Visa Europe Collab, part of Visa Inc, will be partnering with the world’s first publicly listed blockchain company, the BTL Group, in order to test out a proof of concept on running interbank settlements through blockchain. MORE

Sageworks User Groups provide an increasingly rare opportunity to be in a room full of peers, industry experts and staff from a critical vendor. The intersection of these groups allows for three distinct and valuable learning experiences. A group conversation specific to Sageworks usage is a powerful way to provide feedback and enhancement requests (and is greatly appreciated by the Sageworks staff!). MORE

ING Bank will acquire a majority stake in Amsterdam-based Payvision, a payments processor company that powers more than 80 separate payment methods for clients, the companies announced today. MORE

Access Group Education Lending, the student loan servicing company, has been the subject of a data breach. The data breach occurred on March 23 when Nelnet, a vendor that processes student loans for Access Group, sent out the files. Access Group said it learned of the incident on March 28, and that the receiving vendor said they deleted the files and did not keep copies. Access Group told Associated Press that the exposure was limited and has ended. MORE

To address these issues, the CPMI recommends greater transparency in the cost of cross-border transactions, with initiatives from players like the World Bank Group’s RPW database enhancing the availability of pricing information for payers and payees. Individual jurisdictions around the globe are pressing for both faster and more efficient cross-border payments. MORE

Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce company Alibaba Group is seriously considering listing the company on Hong Kong’s exchange, he said. Exclusive Mobile Payments Alibaba Group Alipay Chinese fintechs Hong Kong fintechAlibaba’s $25 billion IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014 was the largest in history. Yesterday, when Ma was asked by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam at the inauguration ceremony of the […]. MORE

Question: I am currently considering joining a networking group. This group limits members to one from each industry, however, when I attended the first introductory meeting there were three other bankers who wanted to join. Q&A on Networking Groups. MORE

The J-pop group contains eight girls, each of whom represents one of the larger digital monetary formats. The group’s first single, “The Moon and Virtual Currencies and Me,” is about the importance of proper online security and the risks of fraud. Further evidence that bitcoin and all associated digital currencies are entirely serious competitors to fiat currency: Japan’s latest pop sensation is Kasotsuka Shojo, a band whose name translates to Virtual Currency Girls. MORE

In an effort to capture a younger audience of travelers, Priceline has announced it will acquire Momondo Group for $550 million. Meta-search site Momondo Group’s core focus is a two-brand strategy to help attract a younger travel demographic. In Priceline’s press release, the Priceline Group’s CEO, Glenn Fogel, said, “Meta-search is appealing to consumers, and we’re keen to expand our global footprint. Retail Acquisition Momondo Group Priceline MORE

zSpace, an education company that brings mixed reality experiences to computing, announced Wednesday (March 1) that it is joining the Khronos Group’s OpenXR working group to define a cross-vendor, royalty-free open standard for access to modern virtual reality (VR) devices. Payment Methods The Khronos Group’s OpenXR virtual reality VR devices What's Hot zSpace MORE

Australian Finance Group said Monday (Aug. Announced during Australian Finance Group’s financial earnings report, the solution will initially roll out in the second quarter of 2018 to help companies access commercial mortgages. “We’ll be building an initial panel of up to 10 lenders aimed at the core [SMB] market,” said Australian Finance Group chief executive officer David Bailey in a statement. MORE

A multi-billion dollar social media platform saying it is sorry simply is not enough,” Andrea Jelinek, chair of the group of EU data protection authorities, said in a statement, according to Reuters. This is why we are creating a Social Media Working Group. The group still has to create a long-term strategy, but did not include any details on what steps it was going to take. MORE

According to reports , the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) — a trade group representing a host of global brands — has sent an appeal to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) formally requesting that Alibaba and its eCommerce platforms be returned to the agency’s list of Notorious Markets. Counterfeiting has been a contentious topic in 2016, especially as it relates to China’s most powerful e-Commerce player, Alibaba. MORE