Laura Alix

Boston

Research Director at Bank Director

Director of Research @BankDirector Writer, gardener, RTs = RTs, opinions & commentary are my own

Articles

Check Fraud Just the Tip of the Iceberg

2 weeks ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

Bank M&A Bank M&A topics will include balance sheet considerations for both the acquiring and acquired financial institutions such as deposits, capital adequacy, credit quality and more. Information around regulatory preparations and concerns as well as credit risks will also be addressed. Explore
Stemming the Fraud Epidemic

3 weeks ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

Since 2021, staff at First Financial Bankshares in Abilene, Texas, have stopped over $22.6 million in fraud, estimates CEO and Chairman Scott Dueser. The $14 billion bank has done that by training workers to recognize and stop fraud before it happens. Executives also regularly honor frontline workers who catch fraud.
How to Build Engagement on a Diverse Board

3 weeks ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

By her own admission, Kimberly Ellwanger might have been considered the token woman when she first joined the board of Heritage Financial Corp., in 2006. Ellwanger’s credentials as a director spoke for themselves: She worked as senior director of corporate affairs and associate general counsel for Microsoft Corp. before retiring in 1999 and served on several nonprofit boards before joining the holding company for Heritage Bank in Olympia, Washington.
2025 Risk Survey: Cybersecurity, Fraud at the Forefront

1 month ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

Cybersecurity and fraud are top of mind for bank leaders this year, as the industry grapples with rising volumes of fraud attempts and evolving threats. Eighty-four percent of the bank CEOs, senior executives and directors responding to Bank Director’s 2025 Risk Survey, sponsored by Moss Adams, name cybersecurity as a top risk for their institution, and 69% say the same of fraud. The survey was conducted in January.
Jackpot! How Banks Can Prevent ATM Attacks

1 month ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

So-called ATM jackpotting attacks are on the upswing, and smaller banks are particularly susceptible to losing money to these crimes. In February, police in Florence, South Carolina, extradited a New York man for allegedly stealing almost $100,000 in an ATM jackpotting attack on Oct. 9, 2024.
Why Regulatory Relief Is Unlikely to Revive Deposit Fee Income

2 months ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

Bankers may be anticipating a lighter regulatory touch under the Trump administration, but it may not lead to higher deposit fee income for banks. Service charges on deposit accounts have declined since 2021, falling to a little more than $28 billion at the end of 2023, according to Fitch Ratings. Some of that decline is likely due to preemptive moves to lower deposit fees and avoid regulatory scrutiny.
Stablecoins: Friend or Foe to the Banking Industry?

2 months ago | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

President Donald Trump and some lawmakers have pushed for a friendlier regulatory environment for cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, but that doesn’t mean bankers are all warming up to digital assets.
Wanted in 2025: More New Banks

Jan 27, 2025 | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

The new head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. telegraphed more openness to de novo formation as part of a broader shift in the regulator’s stance toward bank M&A under the second Trump administration. Bank mergers have taken longer to close in recent years, something that Acting Chair Travis Hill characterized as an attempt to artificially slow industry consolidation.
“No Silver Bullet” For Rooting Out Deepfake Fraud

Jan 23, 2025 | finxtech.com | Laura Alix |Ambrose Delahoussaye

A hacker for hire, Chris Silvers recalls clearly one of the few times he was stopped in his tracks while conducting a penetration test for a small retail company. He’d been hired to try to get into the communications room in the back of the store by impersonating someone from the corporate IT department. Outfitted with his toolbelt and an air of authority, he approached the cash register and informed the cashier that he was there from IT to troubleshoot some problems with the network.
Could M&A Turn a Corner?

Jan 7, 2025 | bankdirector.com | Laura Alix

Bank M&A Bank M&A topics will include balance sheet considerations for both the acquiring and acquired financial institutions such as deposits, capital adequacy, credit quality and more. Information around regulatory preparations and concerns as well as credit risks will also be addressed. Explore