A thwarted bomb attack near the New York Fed

Stratfor Tactical Analyst Best West examines the use of sting operations to stop attacks such as the recently foiled bomb plot in Manhattan close to the New York Federal Reserve Bank.

For more analysis, visit: http://www.Stratfor.com

History of Central Banking - Creation of the Federal Reserve System

Tom Cunningham, vice president, senior economist, and regional executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, gives an economist's view of the early history of central banking in the United States. In this video he discusses the creation of the Federal Reserve System.

Why consumers have closed their checking accounts in the past 12 months

Raddon Chart of the Day September 18, 2012 from Raddon Financial Group

A ride in a NYC “Square” cab

In New York City, there are currently 13,237 official taxicabs equipped with technology from either VeriFone or Creative Mobile Technologies to process credit card payments.

But over the past six months, riders may have seen something a little different in the back of taxicabs: An iPad you can swipe your credit card through, installed by the mobile payments start-up Square.

Update: Square has since pulled the plug on a pilot with New York taxi drivers so it can overhaul its iPad-based card payments system to meet new rules. See Finextra’s October 16 report on this development at http://www.finextra.com/News/Fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=24174

History of Central Banking - The Panic of 1907

Tom Cunningham, vice president, senior economist, and regional executive of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, gives an economist's view of the early history of central banking in the United States. Here he discusses the Panic of 1907.

An innovative way to attract new banking business

Tampa-based credit union Grow Financial has installed a giant, augmented reality video wall outside its latest branch where passers-by can play a game and win money.

Anyone walking past can play the game, where they grab at virtual bank notes flying around the wall, with a chance to win $25 toward a current account, $100 toward an auto loan or $300 toward a mortgage loan.

The 'virtual money machine', is an augmented reality, motion reactive video mirror that uses six HD video screens on the branch's street-facing wall.

Companies and the euro crisis

Chronic uncertainty is making European firms more risk averse. This affects everything from investments to outsourcing, says an economist at Oxford University. The watchword is now “safety first”. The following video from “The Economist”.