Failed-bank hearings bring up questions; earned-wage access curbs

Open questions from Congress' wall-to-wall failed-bank hearings: Banking regulators and executives from the three regional banks that failed this spring testified in a marathon of hearings this week. These are the four threads to emerge from those hearings that banks need to watch.

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Powell says monetary and financial stability tools work well together: The Federal Reserve Board chair waved off suggestions that recent bank failures demonstrate a need to better separate its authorities. He also noted the importance of clear communication by central bank officials.

Read more: Fed's Bowman says banks should be ready to deal with stress

State efforts to regulate earned wage access are heating up: Although no laws have yet passed, most of the bills introduced thus far do not consider EWA products to be loans. California is an exception.

Warren urges FDIC to reject plan to pay assessment fee with Treasuries: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg that large banks are "seeking to pay back the gap in the deposit insurance fund with devalued assets."

Startup uses AI to combine purchases from multiple cards: Data-aggregator Kasheesh enables consumers to fund purchases and build credit scores using a combination of credit, debit and gift cards, based on recommendations powered by artificial intelligence.