It's hard not to read about Groupon, currently the most mediafied of Chicago companies. It's got a What's Hot tab on TechCrunch. It's national burger weekend deals made Crain's and other media, and it's one of several pre-IPO companies cited as examples of a new tech bubble. Groupon brings a lot of tech start-up luster to Chicago. All that attention--along with discussing … [Read more...] about INNOVATION: Why Groupon is a Perfectly Chicago Company
MOBILE PAYMENTS: Desire, Fear, and Other Commercial Conundrums
Mobile commerce is still an emerging market in search of itself, with both the boosters and skeptics commenting in recent weeks. The swirl of news and surveys illustrates the tensions between tradition and innovation that mark the new-technology dance of entrepreneur demand creation and consumer desire fulfillment. A Big, Fat Cloud In a study that articulates demand for mobile … [Read more...] about MOBILE PAYMENTS: Desire, Fear, and Other Commercial Conundrums
The Durbin Amendment and Digital Banking
One of the most controversial—or at least most recently mediafied—portions of last year’s Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was built in Illinois, if not Chicago itself. The "Durbin Amendment," introduced by our own Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), has raised more recent rancor in the banking industry than just about any other provision of the massive … [Read more...] about The Durbin Amendment and Digital Banking
An Uneven and Unreliable Economic Recovery
Recent economic reports present a mixture of disregard, denial, and disinterest. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported GDP growth of 1.8%. The Economist wrote about how debt problems are constantly explained away and asked on its April 28, 2011 cover, “What’s wrong with America’s economy?” The Chairman of the Federal Reserve held a first-ever press conference that one writer … [Read more...] about An Uneven and Unreliable Economic Recovery
CRE Risks and Other Bank Stability Indicators
In February 2011, economists told us that the Great Recession is receding, if not over. If many consumers—and their banks—still feel mired in that same recession, at least the fiscal crisis of 2008 is history. The markets are stable, business profits are up, employment is improving, and it looks like the free fall in real estate values for homes, office buildings, hotels, and … [Read more...] about CRE Risks and Other Bank Stability Indicators
Notes on China's Economy Today
Inflation is the top economic concern of the Chinese government, said Kok-Chi Tsim, Managing Director and Senior Relationship Executive at JPMorgan Chase Bank, Chicago. He spoke March 30 at the monthly luncheon of the Economic Development Council of Chicago on "China’s Economic and Business Environment." The concern for inflation flows from one underlying economic fact: "China … [Read more...] about Notes on China's Economy Today