On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast, Jeff Plagge—president and CEO of Northwest Financial Corp. in Arnolds Park, Iowa, and a former ABA chairman—discusses how a smaller community banking company like his, with $1.8 billion in assets, can make investments to stay on the technological cutting edge. (ABA Banking Journal)

After the 1,400 percent rally of 2017, with wild swings along the way, Bitcoin’s price has stalled between $8,000 and $11,300 over the past month. And internet searches for "Bitcoin" have plunged, suggesting public interest has, too. (Bloomberg)

Despite the flurry of new payment options – mobile wallets, wire transfers and credit and debit cards, among others – cash is continuing to sit atop U.S. consumers’ wallets. Based on PYMNTS’ most recent research, the narrative that cash is dead or in decline is overhyped. (PYMNTS.com)

The U.S. Department of Defense has transitioned to a new "blended retirement system" that will cover all service members entering the military on or after Jan. 1, 2018. The BRS plan includes an automatic contribution and matching contribution from the government, similar to a traditional 401(k), as well as a continuation pay provision for military members who commit to a minimum of three years of service. (ABA Banking Journal)

President Trump has chosen CNBC commentator Larry Kudlow as the next director of the National Economic Council (NEC). For an economist interested in real-world problems, it’s the ultimate opportunity in government. You have great sway over which policies see the light of day, and which ones do not. (The Hill)

Professional chefs and home cooks know that a prized recipe will be mediocre if the dish omits key ingredients. The food may be palatable, but it does not live up to its potential. The same holds true for attempts to standardize the collection of due diligence information on third parties—sometimes referred to as "shared" or "collaborative" due diligence. (ABA Banking Journal)

In a bipartisan 67-31 vote this week, the Senate passed S. 2155, the bipartisan regulatory reform bill, which bill includes several provisions that are longstanding priorities in the American Bankers Association’s Blueprint for Growth. (ABA Banking Journal)

In a bipartisan 247-169 vote, the House passed the Tailor Act this week. Vigorously advocated by ABA and the state bankers associations, and championed by Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Colo.), the bill would require regulators to tailor their actions to meet the diverse characteristics of different banks. (ABA Banking Journal)

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has issued a request for information seeking feedback on its adopted regulations and new rulemaking authorities—the eighth in an ongoing series of RFIs designed to provide the CFPB with input on how it is fulfilling its statutory obligations and how to improve outcomes for both consumers and covered entities. (ABA Banking Journal)

In a statement for the record of a recent House Financial Services subcommittee hearing on data security, ABA outlined several guiding principles for protecting consumer data from data breaches and online cyberattacks. The association emphasized the importance of having robust data protection and breach notification standards that would apply to businesses across all industries and ensure that the costs of breaches are borne by the entities that incur them. (ABA Banking Journal)