Don't let Washington politicians turn your local bank into a government spy

There are recent reports that the Trump administration is considering an executive order or Treasury action requiring banks to collect customers’ citizenship information. This could include collecting documents such as passports for existing customers, not just new account holders. That is not "tightening the rules." It is a sweeping expansion of federal data collection that will raise costs for banks and customers, shrink access to basic banking services and push more activity into the shadows.