Robert Barba is the technology editor of American Banker. Robert previously served as deputy editor of American Banker's dealmaking and strategy section. He joined American Banker in late 2007 as a community banking reporter, just in time for the financial crisis. Robert played a lead role in covering community banks' struggle for survival in the years following the downturn. Robert has appeared on Fox Business to discuss bank failures and the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program. Prior to joining American Banker, Robert was a general business reporter at Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers in Stuart, Fla. He began his career as a business desk intern at The Denver Post and Boulder Daily Camera. Robert is based in New York.
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Digit's decision to charge a monthly fee speaks to the challenge of making fintech profitable.
By Robert BarbaApril 24 -
Larry Feinsmith's job is to bring together the megabank and Silicon Valley startups.
By Robert BarbaNovember 30 -
Scoring top digital talent has become incredibly important to the largest banks as they see mobile banking as the future of their businesses.
By Robert BarbaAugust 17 -
Swift CEO Gottfried Leibbrandt talks about how the global messaging network is looking to stay relevant to its bank members; the potential and limitations of blockchain technology; and his views on the startups looking to disrupt banking.
October 6 -
Market volatility is a special challenge for all fintech companies that connect consumers with digital products: how to handle a highly emotional event with a product that doesn't specialize in human interaction.
By Robert BarbaSeptember 21 -
The acquisition of Yodlee, considered PFM's pioneering firm, would cement Envestnet's capability to serve an emerging demand for data aggregation and leveraging data insights and behavioral science in wealth management.
By Suleman DinAugust 10 -
First-quarter results from U.S. Bancorp and PNC Financial Services Group show banks have little choice but to wait until the Fed raises interest rates. They have cut expenses almost as far as they can go, and fee income is limited in how much it can offset narrower spread income.
By Robert BarbaApril 16 -
Sterne Agee's institutional equity business was one of several pieces of the company that Stifel planned to sell upon agreeing to acquire the firm.
By Robert BarbaMarch 16 -
A recovering economy has all but stopped talk about loan growth. Instead, bankers are now getting grilled about deposit gathering, dealmaking and, in some instances, how they are dealing with slumping energy prices.
By Robert BarbaMarch 12 -
Big banks are still avoiding bank M&A, but the reasons are evolving. Plenty are still looking inward, while others are focusing on buying fee businesses. U.S. Bank CEO Richard Davis says he doesn't want to be burdened with an integration when the economy takes off.
September 10