John Heltman is the Washington Bureau Chief for American Banker. John previously edited American Banker Magazine and is the creator of American Banker's narrative podcast Bankshot. He was awarded the Grand Neal, the top honor bestowed by the Jesse H. Neal Awards, in 2019 for his narrative podcast series Nobody’s Home, which examines the economic and social impact of concentrated vacant housing. He was also named the 2019 McAllister Editorial Fellow at Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. He is a 2005 graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland and lives in Baltimore, Md.
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Allegations of lending discrimination against Navy Federal Credit Union, while as yet unproven, suggest that the rationale for giving credit unions substantial advantages over banks needs to be rethought.
By John HeltmanDecember 19 -
The passage of a Congressional Review Act resolution to rescind the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's small-business data collection rule may be only symbolic, but the rule is designed to detect and stop discrimination — something everyone should support.
By John HeltmanDecember 5 -
A proposal by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to hide medical debt from credit bureaus zeroes in on the unfairness of medical debt, but further reducing credit scores' utility as a proxy for a borrower's ability to repay doesn't do anyone any good.
By John HeltmanNovember 28 -
Many Democrats' bank-regulatory philosophy is driven in significant part by the premise that banks are too profitable and should retain more of their profits to offset their systemic risks. But there is a danger in pushing that assumption too far.
By John HeltmanNovember 21 -
The bombshell investigation into pervasive sexual misconduct at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has spurred some senators to call for FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg's resignation. If he can't right the ship, then he should step aside.
By John HeltmanNovember 14 -
In its opening bid in budget negotiations with the White House, Republican leadership in the House zeroed in on the Treasury, Securities and Exchange Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as targets for concessions. But how hard will the administration push back?
By John HeltmanNovember 7 -
Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr says that while there has been some opposition to the recent overhaul of Community Reinvestment Act regulations, he expects that banks, supervisors and communities will adapt and thrive once it's fully implemented.
By John HeltmanNovember 3 -
Almost a year since FTX's implosion set a minor banking crisis in motion, neither Congress nor regulators seem to be anywhere close to issuing comprehensive rules for the crypto road. That's a missed opportunity, and states are likely to fill the void.
By John HeltmanOctober 31 -
The final Community Reinvestment Act rule notably expands the definition of "large" banks to include banks with at least $2 billion of assets, requiring more banks to comply with the updated rules. That expanded scope is a feature, not a bug.
By John HeltmanOctober 24 -
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra says that a recently proposed data-access rule would provide a competitive edge to small banks over their larger competitors.
By John HeltmanOctober 20