Americans continue to build up consumer debt; in the fourth quarter of 2017 consumer debt (excluding home loans) rose 5.5% from the prior year to $3.82 trillion; this a record since the Federal Reserve Bank of New York began tracking in 1999; non-housing debt was around 29% of overall debt, another record; some aren’t worried just yet with delinquencies coming off of record lows; The WSJ provides more data points on consumer debt, including various perspectives on the American consumer. Source
American Banker announced its 15th annual ranking of the Most Powerful Women in Banking and Finance; the ranking includes three parts: Most Powerful Women in Banking, Most Powerful Women in Finance and Women to Watch. Source.
American Express has joined the Hyperledger Project; the Hyperledger Project which is hosted by the Linux Foundation and supported by IBM, now includes over 100 members from various industries; in regards to joining the Hyperledger Project, Marc Gordon, executive vice president and chief information officer at American Express said, "We're excited to join Hyperledger, as we're looking to take full advantage of blockchain to deliver new and innovative products for our customers and partners, while transforming existing business processes and applications."; with the firm's membership, senior executive Sastry Durvasula, who is responsible for leading enterprise-wide big data, blockchain, digital payments and partnerships at American Express will join the Hyperledger Project's governing board. Source
