Money Talk: FBI unveils bank robbers app to help catch crooks

Editor’s note: Each Monday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Money Talk,” a wrap-up of banking and financial news.

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FBI UNVEILS BANK ROBBERS APP TO HELP CATCH CROOKS
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Bank Robbers has released a mobile application for iPhones (iPads and iPods) and Android smartphones to make it even easier for the public, as well as financial institutions, law enforcement agencies, and others to view photos and information about bank robberies in different geographic areas of the country.

The app, which works with BankRobbers.fbi.gov, can be downloaded for free from Apple’s app store or Google Play. According to the FBI, the app can sort bank robberies by the date they occurred, the category they fall under (i.e., armed serial bank robber), the FBI field office working the case, or the state where the robbery occurred.

If the location services on a device is enabled, the app user can view a map that shows the relevant bank robberies that took place in a geographic area, access surveillance photos, physical description information, robbery details, and the FBI’s wanted poster for each suspect. Users can also select push notifications to be informed when a bank robbery has taken place near their location, and link directly to the FBI online tips page so users can contact law enforcement immediately if they have information on any of the robberies or suspects.

U.S. COMPTROLLER DISCUSSES CONDITION OF THE FEDERAL BANKING SYSTEM FOLLOWING GREAT RECESSION
U.S. Comptroller of the Currency Thomas Curry recently discussed how the financial system has progressed since the Great Recession, its present strengths, and the need to remain vigilant against risks.

Curry said the U.S. banking system is now as well-capitalized as any in the world.

“We achieved this level of capital through the concerted effort of regulators and bankers who recognize that stronger capital means stronger banks and that banks should grow their capital during healthier economic periods so that it is available during a downturn,” he said.

“The crisis has demonstrated that a strong capital base is an absolute necessity, and that when the market begins questioning a bank’s capital strength it might already be too late, as liquidity challenges and existential questions of solvency can quickly follow,” he added.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is a part of the U.S. Treasury Department. To view Curry’s remarks at the Harvard Kennedy School on Sept. 15, click here.

FDIC UNVEILS RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY BANKERS TO LEARN ABOUT AFFORDABLE MORTGAGE PROGRAMS
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on Thursday (Sept. 15) published a guide and launched a new online resource center to help community bankers learn more about single-family housing products offered by federal agencies and government-sponsored enterprises. The guide describes federal programs for single-family housing lending that support home purchases, refinancing, manufactured housing, and some home improvements.

It covers programs that are intended to assist a variety of communities, including rural areas and Native American communities, as well as low- and moderate-income individuals, first-time homebuyers, and veterans. Bankers can use the guide as a resource to gain an overview of a variety of program resources, to compare different products, for information on Community Reinvestment Act implications, and to help identify the next steps for program participation.

In addition to the publication, the FDIC launched the Affordable Mortgage Lending Center, an online resource center featuring data, fact sheets, and mortgage lending studies from the FDIC and other federal resources. The center includes the full version of the guide and also provides links that take the reader directly to the programs.