Brendan Pedersen covered Capitol Hill and regulatory politics for American Banker until September 2022. From 2019-2021, he covered the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency as well as fintech policy. Originally from Chicagoland, he was previously a staff writer for Kiplinger's Personal Finance and covered local business affairs in Denver, Colorado for BusinessDen.
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The lawmakers are attempting to block the regulation reforming the anti-redlining law under review powers granted to Congress, but the move is largely symbolic with the Senate and White House controlled by the GOP.
June 11 -
After three months of supervising national banks remotely, examiners will soon resume visiting them in person and working in regional offices, says acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks.
June 11 -
The Department of Financial Services is going live with DFS FastForward, which aims to help innovators in finance, healthcare and insurance consult directly with regulators on specific compliance issues.
June 9 -
The acting comptroller of the currency weighs in on social unrest, the reformed Community Reinvestment Act, fintech charters and how he believes technology can make finance more inclusive.
June 8 -
Former Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting landed a post with Black Knight, which provides technology solutions to mortgage and real estate companies.
June 8 -
Acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks says financial institutions are needed more than ever to “sustain existing businesses” and help entrepreneurs rebuild. Meanwhile, reforming the Community Reinvestment Act, he says, can “unblock opportunities” in minority neighborhoods.
June 7 -
The agency sought industry feedback on a host of potential changes to ensure that rules are “sufficiently flexible and clear in light of the technological advances that have transformed the financial industry over the past two decades."
June 4 -
Acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks took the extraordinary step of wading into the debate over when it was appropriate to reopen businesses.
June 1 -
The new regulation is intended as a workaround for banks affected by the 2015 decision that created legal uncertainty for loans sold across state lines.
May 29 -
The National Community Reinvestment Coalition, California Reinvestment Coalition and Democracy Forward accuse the agency of “unlawfully gutting” the historic anti-redlining law.
May 21 -
Joseph Otting will step down May 29 as head of the OCC and turn the reins over to Brooks, a former financial services industry executive who worked with Otting at OneWest.
May 21 -
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency watered down numeric metrics that some groups blasted and allowed more institutions to opt out of the new regime. But whether the agency has won over any detractors remains to be seen.
May 20 -
Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting’s regulation reforming the Community Reinvestment Act lacks performance metrics criticized in an earlier proposal. But neither the FDIC nor the Fed is supporting the final plan.
May 20 -
The final regulation will significantly revise a December proposal, responding to concerns from stakeholders. Meanwhile, in a surprising move, the regulator who had championed the reforms is expected to resign this week.
May 19 -
Democrats’ latest proposal to back debt collectors, enable loans for nonprofits and provide other relief could help steer negotiations with the Senate on more stimulus.
By Hannah LangMay 15 -
Democrats’ latest proposal to back debt collectors, enable loans for nonprofits and provide other relief could help steer negotiations with the Senate on more stimulus.
By Hannah LangMay 15 -
Congress authorized the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to intervene if the pandemic caused a liquidity scare, but nearly two months later deposits are through the roof and the agency has not acted on the expanded authority.
May 14 -
The agency said without further action banks' participation in coronavirus relief programs could inflate their deposit insurance assessments.
May 12 -
The proposal would give a safe harbor to financial institutions that work with cannabis companies in states where the substance is legal. But the bill, which would direct $3 trillion in aid to struggling households, businesses and local governments, faces long odds in the Republican-controlled Senate.
May 12 -
The OCC is plowing ahead on plans to modernize the Community Reinvestment Act, but a growing consensus of industry and community voices says now is not the time for a major overhaul.
May 7



















!["Further delay [of CRA reform] will prevent these additional resources from reaching those who need them most in this time of national emergency," said Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting in April.](https://arizent.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1fc87bd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5760x3240+0+300/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsource-media-brightspot.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2F40%2F14%2Fee6cd5d544bd848ecc544e7f3fed%2Fotting-joseph-bl-050720.jpg)