On December 17, the FDIC published the Winter 2012 issues of Supervisory Insights. The two featured articles focus on mobile payments and high-yield checking. In “Mobile Payments: An Evolving Landscape,” FDIC staff (i) review mobile payment technology, (ii) provide guidance regarding understanding and managing risks, and (iii) include a chart explaining the applicability of various federal laws to mobile payments. The article states that, going forward, non-bank mobile payment providers may start to capture greater market share from financial institutions and alter bank/customer relationships. The article describes the potential for banks to gradually be pushed out of the payment transaction, and identifies potential impacts of such disintermediation, including loss of access to key customer data. A second article, “High-Yield Checking Accounts: Know the Rules,” reviews the features of high-yield checking accounts and identifies problematic disclosures that may accompany their promotion. The article identifies what examiners look for when examining high-yield account offerings and provides best practices for banks.
