The Utah Transit Authority is showcasing its new electronic fare collection system this week at an event held in Salt Lake City by the Smart Card Alliance. According to the UTA, "the new electronic payment system for the transit agency is the first full-system rollout of a transit payment system based on the open payment network." READ MORE

The Smart Card Alliance has announced the agenda for the CTST The Americas 2009 Conference being held May 4-7, 2009 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. READ MORE

Hitachi Consulting has announced results of the 2008 Study of Consumer Payment Preferences, a nationwide study conducted by BAI Research and Hitachi Consulting sponsored by First Data, MasterCard Worldwide, Metavante, and PULSE. According to the study, "traditional card-based payment methods already have whittled away the base of check transactions in the United States, and are now impacting consumers’ use of cash, with 41 percent of consumers indicating they use cash less often today than they did two years ago." READ MORE

The Federal Reserve has announced that it has launched a new section of its website expanding the information provided about the policy tools the Federal Reserve has employed to address the financial crisis and simplifying access to that information. READ MORE

Economic confidence among the nation’s 22 million small business owners remained flat in February, gaining only a half-point over the previous month in the latest Discover Small Business Watch. The monthly index rose to 71.9 in February from 71.4 in January. READ MORE

Fiserv has announced the unveiling of "an enhanced market approach and new brand identity, affirming the company’s commitment to its clients and to leading the transformation of financial services technology. These moves represent a further acceleration in Fiserv’s singular approach to the market and to anticipating client demands within a rapidly changing environment. The full integration of CheckFree's electronic commerce operations within Fiserv has been a catalyst to drive increased innovation and focus the power of Fiserv’s cumulative expertise on helping clients grow their business and increase profitability." READ MORE

• The Consumerist: Data Theft: Another Month, Another Massive Credit Card Data Breach
• Guido Appenzeller’s Blog: Are banks training their customers to be Phished?
• Joint Statement by the Treasury, FDIC, OCC, OTS, and the Federal Reserve
• ReadWriteWeb: Biometrics for Identification or Authentication Still Has a Way to Go
• Dow Jones Newswire: AmEx Offers Some Holders $300 Incentive To Cancel Accounts
• LifeLock® and FBI-LEEDA to Train Nevada Law Enforcement to Combat Nation’s Fastest Growing Crime
• Zong: February Update
• New York Times: Nigerian Accused in Scheme to Swindle Citibank
• Viewpointe Test Demonstrates Improved Risk Management, Accuracy With Image Integrity Solution
• Digital Check Adds Franking Functionality to CheXpress CX30 Check Scanner
• Atmel and TazTag Collaborate to Offer the First Secure NFC Electronic Wallet
• Examiner: Gift card vendor waiting for final decision from Fortunoff