Archive for July, 2009

FDIC’s Cease and Desist Order Re: Small Business Accounts

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009
Bill of Rights for Credit Card Customers

Bill of Rights for Credit Card Customers

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)  entered into a settlement with Advanta Bank Corporation in connection with deceptive and unfair practices in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act. The settlement provides that Advanta agrees to an (fdic-advanta-order) order to cease and desist, to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $150,000 and restitution of approximately $14 million to small businesses that used Advanta’s Cash Back Reward Program and $21 million to those small businesses whose accounts were re-priced. Advanta admitted no wrongdoing in connection with the order.

Advanta’s “Cash Back Reward” program advertised a cash rebate on a percentage of eligible purchases for small business credit card holders. The cash rebates were tiered, the promoted rebates were not available for all purchases and it was effectively impossible to earn the cash back reward payments that were promoted. The FDIC concluded that Advanta’s marketing material was likely to mislead a reasonable customer, that these marketing misrepresentations were material and therefore constituted a pattern of deceptive practices explicitly prohibited by the Federal Trade Commission. 

The FDIC also determined that Advanta had imposed, in an unfair manner, substantial annual percentage rate (APR) increases on the accounts of small business owners who had neither exceeded their credit limits nor were delinquent on their account payments. The FDIC concluded that Advanta had failed to give adequate notice to small business account holders of the increase in APR, had failed to properly notify them of the amount of or the reason for the increase and the means to opt-out and the consequences of opting out. This surreptitious re-pricing caused substantial harm to small business customers, who were kept in the dark as to how to reasonably avert the harm.

I spoke with David Barr of the FDIC and thank him for informing this blog posting. I did not understand the nature of the FDIC’s authority in this matter as I did not understand Advanta to be a deposit-taking institution. Mr. Barr explained that many banks issue credit cards that do not accept deposits but, nevertheless are regulated banks. Advanta Bank Corp., based in Utah, is a state non-member bank for which the FDIC is the primary regulator. I also asked Mr. Barr to explain the process by which these allegations of abuse came to the attention of the FDIC for investigation and subsequent enforcement action. I have reported issues of concern to my small business, unrelated to Advanta, to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with disappointing results. The FTC has to see a widespread, broad pattern of abuse before it will examine the allegations and, as you can imagine, given the widespread issues of concern to consumers, their threshold for response is quite high.

Mr. Barr explained that a small business owner, or individual consumer, can go to the FDIC’s website, www.fdic.gov, and file an online complaint against a regulated bank. If you are not certain which agency oversees your bank, the FDIC will forward your complaint to the appropriate regulator. If the FDIC is the regulator, it will give a copy of your complaint to the bank for its response and open an investigation. So what I learned is that it is likely more effective to raise such issues with the FDIC than with the FTC. The FDIC can take enforcement action against regulated banks for violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act. The other takeaway from my conversation with Mr. Barr, unrelated to Advanta, is that when a natural disaster strikes a community, the FDIC issues a financial institutions letter to the banks it regulates that operate within the disaster area, urging forbearance in dealing with customers during the disaster recovery period. So thanks to the FDIC for this helpful information.

Bid to Extend National Flood Insurance

Monday, July 13th, 2009

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank and Financial Services Housing Subcommittee Chairwoman Maxine Waters have introduced legislation to extend the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through March 31, 2010. Ordinarily, I favor limited government and market mechanisms for insurance coverage and I think it is long since time that the NFIP be eliminated. NFIP is a disaster. Recall that in 2007, the Senate Banking Committee unanimously approved legislation to forgive nearly $20 billion in debt, which NFIP had incurred in 2005 to pay hurricane-related claims. However, while I believe that the federal government should get out of the flood insurance business, I think it should do so in a responsible manner.

The NFIP program is set to expire in September, peak hurricane season. This does not give homeowners and businesses sufficient time to put other coverage in place or private sector companies adequate notice to begin to underwrite such policies. So I think a short extension of the program is the only sensible thing to do.

The American Insurance Association (AIA) approved the proposed legislation. “While this extension does not fix the NFIP’s problems, it does help those living in flood-prone areas by making sure coverage continues to be available,” said Leigh Pusey, President and CEO of the AIA. “A short-term extension to keep the federal flood programme in place is the most prudent action for Congress to take. We also support Reps. Frank and Waters in their commitment to crafting new bi-partisan legislation that would implement much needed reforms to the NFIP.  AIA looks forward to working with the House Financial Services Committee as it writes an updated bill that will improve the program and restore its financial stability.”

The photograph, by the way, is the old astronomical clock in the center of Prague. When I lived in Switzerland, I spent nearly every weekend visiting a capital city in Europe, as I had the perfect base of operations. You could be in any European capital within an hour from Zurich. I took this photograph on an absolutely perfect day in Prague and I include the clock image with this posting, because it is rare that Congress doesn’t wait until 48 hours before program expiry to act. (Remember TRIA?)

July 4th Fireworks (Better Late Than Never)!

Sunday, July 12th, 2009
July 4th Fireworks

July 4th Fireworks

I must have been born under a lucky star. As a contractor to the United Nations Capital Development Fund for my business, I had a UN grounds pass and an invitation to bring my friends to the UN to view the Fourth of July fireworks on the East River. The UN Secretariat is located exactly on the East River at First Avenue, with an absolutely perfect location. So I made my friends very happy when I hosted a party and viewing for the national holiday. This year, Macy’s moved its traditional Fourth of July fireworks display to the Hudson River so, for the first time since I can remember, we had the traditional fireworks to the west of Manhattan rather than to the east. And my office is directly on the Hudson River, so I hosted a fun event. I wanted to share some photographs of the display and apologize for my tardiness in posting them.

Macy's Fireworks Float

Macy's Fireworks Float

View at Nightfall

View at Nightfall

Getting Ready in the Afternoon

Getting Ready in the Afternoon

Fireworks

Fireworks

More Fireworks

More Fireworks

Cities Reconsider Emergency Communications

Saturday, July 11th, 2009

USA Today reports that cities are reconsidering their plans to alert residents to disaster threats via text messages owing to unanticipated problems with this form of communication. Last June, 100,000 residents of Fort Collins, Colorado did not receive tornado alerts delivered to them via cell phone and e-mail messages. In addition to technical failures, such as this one, the expense of this form of alert can be substantial for cities that are under increasing financial pressure.

To the USA Today report, I can add a concern of my own – information overload. New York City’s Office of Emergency Services offered an SMS text message alert system for disasters happening in New York City. I signed up for the service, which was free, believing that advance notice of any disruptions would help us to plan our work and commutes to and from the office. I soon terminated my subscription. The problem was information overload. I was receiving notices of emergency calls such as EMS being called to a site where a body was found floating in the Hudson River and other such events which, while pertinent to the emergency responders, are not relevant to us. After receiving several hundred such messages each day, I began to appreciate that any messages that would be pertinent to us would be lost in the clutter. So I now rely on weather and other alert systems through the news radio. I find it to be more efficient for the limited resources, particularly in terms of attention bandwidth, of a small business.

Senior Entrepreneurs?

Saturday, July 11th, 2009
The Greatest Entrepreneurial Generation?

The Greatest Entrepreneurial Generation?

If you think that the most entrepreneurial generation are the twenty-somethings starting businesses in their college dorm rooms, think again. The Public Policy Institute of the American Association of Retired Persons reports that last year, 21% of self-employed Americans were between the ages of 55 and 64, while 10% were ages 65 and older. This trend may accelerate as Baby Boomers find that they lack the financial resources to support them in retirement. Mercer reported that the stock market decline’s consequence on retirement savings accounts was to extend by nine years planned retirements. And this is a generation not known for delayed gratification or savings, so they were inadequately provisioned to begin with. But this trend began long before the 2008 market decline. A 2005 study by the Center on Aging & Work/Workplace Flexibility at Boston College found that workers 50 and older are more likely than younger adults to own their own businesses.  I have mixed views on this subject. Certainly, I am all in favor of entrepreneurship. But that process is all about managing risk. If you lose your job, you lose your income. If your small business fails, as most small businesses do, you lose both your income and an asset: your equity in the business. At least with corporate employment, you can diversify your risk, if you wisely choose to invest your 401k and other retirement accounts in assets other than the company stock of your employer. In addition, when you start a new business, you often have to provide personal guarantees for various obligations, such as office leases. This puts your other assets, potentially your home, at risk. Finally, a 20-something entrepreneur has years to catch up on earnings if the business flounders. An older one doesn’t have the luxury of time. Entrepreneurship is a personally rewarding experience for creative expression. But it is not a panacea for inadequate retirement savings.

Protecting Your Health on Business Travel

Friday, July 10th, 2009
My UN Passport

My UN Passport

This is a topic I know well and I learned from the best. This image here is the cover of my United Nations Laisser Passer (French for “allow to pass”). It was my diplomatic passport for my work for the United Nations Capital Development Fund. I had served as the Senior Policy Advisor to the United Nations Advisors Group on Inclusive Financial Sectors. This was a successor initiative to the United Nations International Year of Microcredit to follow up on some of the outstanding work, such as dealing with regulatory issues to expand access to financial services for the poor. The position required that I travel to areas of the developing world, as I did for other projects of my business. Owing to the public health concerns of certain of those regions, I had to exercise care and learned from the best – the physicians and nurses at the UN Medical Office. I wanted to share with you some of what I learned from them. This information may help you and your employees enjoy safer business travel.

The first is to be certain to keep at least two copies of your passports, visas, and vaccination records in two different locations, with one at your office, so it can be retrieved in an emergency. Your government’s embassy can help to re-issue your travel documents if your passport is lost or stolen, but it expedites the process if you can produce a copy with your original information. Ditto for your itinerary; make sure at least two people have copies, with at least one in your office. Second, I always travel with a small medical kit, containing everything from bandages to over-the-counter medications. Magellan’s Travel Supplies offers one that is very similar to the one issued by the UN to its staff and contractors. The UN kit also includes a clean needle and syringe, as we often work in parts of the world where conditions are unsanitary and HIV infection rates are high. When working projects in the developing world for clients other than the UN, meaning I did not have access to the UN medical office, I visit a physician who is a specialist in travel medicine and infectious diseases at New York University Medical Center. If you don’t have access to such a specialist, consult the online resources of the World Health Organization to find out about required vaccinations and particular health risks of the region to which you will be traveling so that you can work with your primary care physician to prepare for a safe trip. I always bring lots of protein bars with me, so if there is ever a concern about food safety, I have something nourishing to eat. Of course, they also come in handy when stuck in the airport after hours when the food court is closed. Finally, never drink coffee or tea inflight. Consume only bottled beverages. The water used to brew those beverages isn’t always safe to consume; studies show that one out of every seven aircraft tested had E.Coli in their onboard water systems. Also use a small travel-size hand sanitizer to ensure proper hygiene.

Imbalance Between Supply and Demand

Friday, July 10th, 2009
All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go

All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go

Banks claim to be lending, but small businesses claim it is harder than ever to get loans. Which side is right? Both! Reports of tightening access to credit are consistent. In a survey conducted by the National Federation of Independent Business, 14% of small businesses across the U.S. reported that loans were difficult to obtain in April relative to March. This is the highest percentage since the 1980 – 82 recession. At the same time, two-thirds of the small businesses surveyed also reported that the interest rates on their credit card accounts had increased. On the other side, the monthly reports collected by the Federal Reserve Bank reveal that 60% of bank loan officers report that their loan volumes have declined for insufficient demand.

Each side has responded to the financial crisis with caution. Banks have raised lending standards, such that small businesses that used to be able to access loans with FICO scores of 650 now find that the hurdle is 720. At the same time, small businesses are reluctant to assume additional debt, given the uncertainties in the current economic environment. Apparently banks and small businesses agree on one thing: keep as much cash on the balance sheet as possible at this time.

Beware of Scareware

Thursday, July 9th, 2009
Attention-Grabbing

Attention-Grabbing

Scareware consists of deceptive advertisements that pop up on websites where criminals have purchased such ads. The pop-up announces that your computer is infected and asks you to click on a box to run a free scan of your computer. If you accept the offer, the scan claims to find a viral infection on your computer. It then helpfully offers you the chance to buy security software to clean this virus. When you accept the offer, the software takes you to an online shopping cart to collect your credit card information. If you back out of the offer at this time, the system will badger you with endless fake scans. Scareware is distributed by a number of means: websites, online social networking sites, Twitter and others, so you must always be vigilant.

Should you encounter what appears to be a Scareware warning box, press Ctrl-Alt-Del to access Task Manager, click to applications, scroll to the dialogue box, and click “end task.” This will force the warning box to close. If you don’t stop at this point, it will be very difficult to stop the attack. You can try running Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool, or cleanup tools from the antivirus software you use.

Proposed Financial Sector Reform

Thursday, July 9th, 2009
Small Business and Big Government

Small Business and Big Government

According to the New York Times, President Obama sought a wide range of views on finance rules, consulting with, among others, top executives from Goldman Sachs, Metlife, Allstate, JPMorgan Chase, Credit Suisse, Citigroup, Barclays, UBS, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Travelers and Prudential. It does not appear as though any representatives from small businesses were given the opportunity to have input, although the Administration has consistently acknowledged that we account for over one-half of the economy and all net job growth. The Administration released an 85-page white paper, outlining its proposals to reform financial market regulation. Various proposals were put forward for an expanded role of the Federal Reserve Bank, new bank loan loss reserve accounting, the elimination of the Office of Thrift Supervision and other matters. But what was missing was a consideration of the ultimate goals of regulation: to ensure the safety and soundness of our financial system while maintaining access to a multilayered system. The access part is missing from the Administration’s proposal, save for a cursory mention of the requirements of the Community Reinvestment Act.

South Africa’s Centre for Financial Inclusion described the phenomenon of regulatory drift: first, markets grow and become more sophisticated and complex. When market failure occurs, regulators impose costs and barriers that foreclose market entry for the less advantaged. This result occurs in part because of the regulators’ emphasis on stability over access. This was the unintended result of anti-money-laundering and anti-terrorist financing regulations, which had the consequence of slowing remittances upon which many poor people in the developing world depend.  The emphasis of stability over access also contributed to choking the flow of credit to smaller businesses in the U.S.  The omission of the financial access issues of smaller businesses is all the more significant given that the Administration has publicly identified this issue as a priority.

Commingling Business and Personal Credit

Thursday, July 9th, 2009
Everything is Reported

Note: Everything is Reported

Business Week reports that historically, small business debt had not been reported to consumer credit bureaus, but now that is changing. Although most small business owners have to personally guarantee their business debt, particularly SBA loans, business loans did not affect personal credit unless your account was in arrears. Now the total amount of your business indebtedness may lower your personal credit score, even if you have been scrupulous in keeping up with your payments. This can lower the availability of personal credit that you can access as well as raise the cost of that credit. It is unclear what lenders expect to gain by this reporting. Net delinquencies and charge-offs are rising, so perhaps they wish to signal to small business owners that there are consequences to defaulting. But with personal pledges, guarantees and other assets on the line collateralizing the business borrowing, we already know that. What concerns me, which is why I never completed the SBA loan application process, is that providing personal guarantees exposes liability risk and places other assets, unrelated to the business, in play. With frivolous litigation the norm in the United States, I want to exercise care to ensure that I preserve all of the protection of limited liability by incorporating. I would not wish to forfeit any of those protections to access financing. I note that the large automakers and banks that secured government bailouts did not do so by exposing the personal assets of their executive management. Although, perhaps if they had, you wouldn’t see 38 to 1 leverage ratios and poor management decisions at certain of these companies!