Washington Bureau Chief

Rob Blackwell is the Washington Bureau Chief for American Banker. He has covered the financial services arena for more than a decade, working first as a reporter covering the GSEs, the banking regulators, and anti-money laundering, among other topics, and later as an editor during the worst crisis since the Great Depression.

He helped American Banker win a Jesse H. Neal Award for its coverage of deposit insurance reform, and has appeared on BBC, CNBC and C-SPAN as an expert on regulatory policy. His Twitter handle is @ABWashBureau

Former FDIC Chairman Defends Pritzker Nomination
May 10, 2013 Penny Pritzker, Obama's pick for Commerce Secretary, acted commendably in the failure of Superior Bank, says former FDIC...

Fannie, Freddie Limited to QM Loans: FHFA
May 6, 2013 The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Monday that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must restrict future mortgage purchases to...

Pritzker Role in Bank Failure Casts Doubts about Cabinet Suitability
May 2, 2013 President Obama has nominated Penny Pritzker to head the Commerce Department, overlooking her role in the costly failure of...

Obama Expected to Nominate Watt to Lead FHFA
May 1, 2013 President Obama is expected to nominate Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., on Wednesday to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency,...

Why the Brown-Vitter Bill Matters — Even if It Doesn't Pass
April 26, 2013 The Brown-Vitter bill on "Too Big to Fail" faces significant challenges to passage, yet it is likely to have an impact on big...

Brown, Vitter to Speak at 'Too Big to Fail' Forum
April 17, 2013 American Banker and Federal Financial Analytics are holding a joint forum with Sens. Vitter and Brown to discuss their bill...

Senate Banking to Probe Role of Promontory, Outside Consultants
April 4, 2013 A Senate Banking subcommittee will examine the role of independent consultants in the financial services industry, including...

CFPB Takes Enforcement Actions Against Mortgage Insurers
April 4, 2013 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced four enforcement actions Thursday against mortgage insurers, ordering them...

Five Takeaways from GAO's Tough Criticism of Independent Foreclosure Reviews
April 4, 2013 The independent foreclosure review process was disorganized, ineffective and inconsistent, according to a draft report by the...

Fed Finalizes Standard for Declaring Nonbanks a Threat
April 3, 2013 The Federal Reserve Board approved a rule Wednesday that outlines the criteria regulators will use to determine if a nonbank...