John Reosti

It could take months before lawmakers approve a successor for departing NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz, and industry observers believe issues like supplemental capital could be on hold until that replacement takes office.

The NCUA's decision to expand member business lending has sparked a renewed effort by banks to press lawmakers to eliminate credit unions' tax-exempt status. The NCUA's board meeting also ended with awkward acrimony between two of its own members.

As expected, the National Credit Union Administration approved sweeping overhaul of MBL rule, but several sticking points led to some acrimonious exchanges — and could presage battles ahead.

The NCUA's plan to expand credit unions' business-lending powers generated more than 3,000 comment letters, mostly from bankers urging a "no" vote. But the agency's board is expected to stick by its original proposal.

The NCUA's plan to expand credit unions' business-lending powers generated more than 3,000 comment letters, mostly from bankers urging a 'no' vote. But the agency's board is expected to stick by its original proposal.

Inspired by marketplace lenders, Live Oak Bancshares created a largely digital product that can make a credit decision on a small-business loan within 48 hours. The product, which combines human decision-making and automated credit scoring, could go national as early as next year.

Bankers, irate with the NCUA's plan to expand field-of-membership for certain credit unions, are flooding the agency with comment letters. The NCUA has received 10,500 total letters, or more than triple the previous record for such responses.

Setting yet a new record for number of comment letters filed, NCUA’s proposed field of membership overhaul has reopened old wounds and rekindled the battle between credit unions and banks.

Several bankers left a high-profile meeting with the Financial Accounting Standards Board feeling more comfortable with a plan to change reserve accounting. The meeting was thrown into an abrupt recess after a FASB director and a bank lobbyist clashed over recent statements by FASB's chairman linking community banks to the financial crisis.

Several bankers left a high-profile meeting with the Financial Accounting Standards Board feeling more comfortable with a plan to change reserve accounting. The meeting was thrown into an abrupt recess after a FASB director and a bank lobbyist clashed over recent statements by FASB's chairman linking community banks to the financial crisis.

All it takes to bridge the divide between and credit unions and banks - and lawmakers on opposite ends of the political spectrum - is a controversial accounting change that threatens to harm members of both industries.

Trade groups for both industries put aside differences to seek congressional signatures on a letter urging FASB to reconsider its controversial proposal requiring early-stage loan-loss provisioning.

The company knew it would soon expand outside of Michigan, but management thought it might buy a $2 billion-asset bank based in Indiana. Talmer Bancorp was much bigger than that and it instead offered opportunity in Ohio.

BOK Financial in Oklahoma plans to further increase its reserves to cover loan losses amid the energy slump, emphasize health care and other non-energy sectors, and expand in markets like Kansas City that are less reliant on oil.

Talmer agreed to sell itself in a privately negotiated deal that values the company at 150% of its tangible book value. For some analysts and investors, the company should have considered an auction — or not selling at all.

The American Bankers Association has gone public with its issues with a plan to require banks to record loan-loss provisions when they originate a loan. Bankers are worried that the rule will eventually force smaller institutions to use costly modeling programs to comply.

Credit unions will have 90 days to comment on the controversial OTR methodology—a long-awaited victory for NASCUS and state charters.

Management has also been allocating more resources to other markets to add loans and boost fee income in businesses such as card services and wealth management. Such moves are designed to offset fallout from an energy book that shrunk by 14% last year.

A number of community banks have gotten into government-backed small-business lending by buying firms or poaching talent. While the business seems lucrative now, there are concerns that too many banks may be jumping into the pool.

Credit unions are still clamoring for regulatory relief, only this year it's CFPB—not NCUA—that is prompting the loudest criticism.