• Commercial property insurer FM Global announced April 2, 2026 that the Financial Times has recognized it as one of The Americas' Fastest-Growing Companies of 2026.
• The Johnston, Rhode Island-based insurer joins other leading regional companies on the prestigious FT list recognizing high-growth businesses.
• The recognition highlights FM's strong business performance and market position in the competitive commercial property insurance sector.
• Bank of America rolled out AI agents to approximately 1,000 financial advisors nationwide.
• This initiative marks an early integration of AI into core US banking operations for enhanced client services.
• The deployment signals broader adoption of AI in finance, improving efficiency and decision-making processes.
• Bluestem Health in Lincoln, Nebraska, serving 21,000 low-income and uninsured patients, has operated at a loss for two years and anticipates worsening conditions due to new Medicaid work rules under President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
• Nebraska becomes the first state to enforce work requirements for certain Medicaid enrollees, risking coverage loss and threatening clinic viability, as stated by CEO Brad Meyer.
• The policy darkens the outlook for government-backed clinics nationwide by reducing patient access to care amid rising operational costs.
Survey also found 65% of gen Z think ‘things are better if men do paid work and women do care work’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastYounger fathers are more likely to cling to outdated ideas that frame men as the money earners and women as caregivers, new research has found.The Australian State of the World’s Fathers report is based on a global survey of 8,000 parents, with 533 from Australia. Continue reading...
• The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence, chaired by Rep. Bryan Steil (WI-01), held a hearing on March 26 to examine how federal agencies are addressing emerging technologies.
• The hearing explored how Congress can support responsible innovation while ensuring strong oversight and accountability as AI technologies continue to advance rapidly.
• Regulators testified on strategies to keep pace with technology innovation speed, highlighting the gap between regulatory evolution and market velocity.
• House Republicans argue that financial regulators must adapt governance frameworks to keep pace with innovations in artificial intelligence, digital assets, and real-time payment systems.
• Congressional financial services leaders contend that regulatory evolution is essential as these technologies reshape how Americans save, invest, and conduct transactions.
• The statement reflects broader debates about regulatory modernization in response to rapid technological change in the financial sector.
UK urged to tackle transnational repression, as dissidents say Beijing has targeted them with tax letters and other threats“I didn’t feel safe, even though I’m not based in Hong Kong any more,” said Christopher Mung Siu-tat after getting tax bills from Hong Kong authorities. “The regime can reach me by their long arms wherever I am.”Siu-tat, executive director at the Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor, a UK-based NGO, fled Beijing’s sweeping national security laws years ago. The letters are the latest example of a series of transnational repression (TNR) tactics the 54-year-old has faced in recent years. Continue reading...
Ministers will publish review by Philip Rycroft, which will make recommendations relevant to all the political parties, todayGood morning. In December the government announced that Philip Rycroft, a former permanent secretary at the Brexit department, will lead a review into foreign financial interference into UK politics. The review is being published today, and it will include recommendations that we’re told the government will implement as a priority.The review will make recommendations relevant to all the political parties, but no one in government is trying very hard to pretend that one party in particular isn’t the main focus. Rycroft was hired for the job soon after Nathan Gill, the former Reform UK leader in Wales, was sentenced to 10 and a half years in jail for taking bribes to spout pro-Russian propaganda. Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, dismissed Gill as a one-off bad apple, but other Brexit party MEPs gave pro-Russian speeches similar to Gill’s. Reform UK is the Brexit party under a new name. Continue reading...
• The Treasury Department's FSOC and AITO launched the AI Innovation Series, a public-private initiative with four roundtables convening financial institutions, tech firms, and regulators on high-value AI use cases.
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, 'Leadership in AI adoption is a crucial component of economic security,' shifting regulation from constraint to enabling productivity-enhancing tech.
• Deputy Assistant Secretary Christina Skinner emphasized AI's role in fraud detection, credit allocation, and operational resilience for financial stability.
SEC now classifies crypto into five categories, with securities laws only applicable to one: digital securitiesThe US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Tuesday issued an interpretation clarifying which types of cryptocurrencies are considered securities and how a “non-security” digital asset could meet certain conditions to become an investment contract.The SEC’s new interpretation – which the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission also joined – classifies crypto tokens into five categories: digital commodities, digital collectibles, digital tools, stablecoins and digital securities, with the agency specifying that federal securities laws only apply to digital securities. Continue reading...
• House Committee on Financial Services Chairman French Hill (AR-02) and Housing and Insurance Subcommittee Chairman Mike Flood (NE-01) commended President Trump’s March 15, 2026, executive order removing regulatory barriers to affordable home construction.
• The leaders noted the order aligns with bipartisan committee work over the past year to reduce building costs and boost housing supply through commonsense reforms.
• They expressed intent to codify the executive order's objectives in upcoming congressional housing legislation to ensure lasting impact.
Charles Schwab stock rose 1.8% on March 13, 2026, amid gains in financial services, health care, and consumer goods sectors during a choppy session. About 61% of S&P 500 stocks advanced, with Schwab benefiting from defensive positioning. This resilience contrasts tech declines, pointing to rotation into value areas. Sector performance may persist if volatility continues.