A look at the future of the retail banking industry by the president of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank. President Jordan explains that as technology and deregulation transform the financial marketplace, it will be critical to understand the services that people desire and to explore banks'...

Technology, market consolidation, international competition, and new legislation are changing the face of the financial services industry. How are the agencies responsible for ensuring the safety and soundness of our financial system responding? This Commentary is adapted from a keynote address...

Millions of Americans have no traditional banking relationship. Recent changes in government policy have required a new look at how financial institutions can serve the nation's unbanked population. To win these potential customers over, banks must continue to tailor products and services to...

An analysis of the surge in bank credit-card lending and the resulting rise in credit-card losses, which causes some banks to have higher charge-off rates than others because of different loan risks.

A discussion of international, domestic, pricing, and operational aspects of electronic payment system risk, with a description of proposals for managing the risk and for reducing Federal Reserve exposure.

A description of the U.S. payments system, outlining its evolution and examining some of the areas where improvements are needed.

A comparison of Fedwire, CHIPS, and GlobeSet payment services for 24-hour global markets, emphasizing the constraining influence of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy responsibilities on Fedwire's market share.

The death of paper checks has been predicted since the 1960s, but only recently has their use begun to decline. The end may be near, though, as two forces accelerate the trend away from checks: the growing acceptance of electronic payment instruments and the passage of legislation designed to...

An investigation of one of the reasons why electronic payments have not yet supplanted cash and checks in retail transactions: Consumers willingness to use an innovation depends on the number of merchants who have already adopted it, and merchants willingness to invest in the innovation depends...

The information age has led to many new forms of payment, including credit cards, debit cards, and online banking. In many ways, these new mechanisms seem preferable to cash. While the disappearance of cash is a very long way off, it seems people are starting to use it less.