Neil Haggerty

A final Senate breakdown still depends on the outcome in a few key races, but with Republicans closer to keeping power, Democrats' proposals to cap interest rates, create a postal banking system and establish a public credit reporting agency are likely dead on arrival.

If days go by without a clear result, the uncertainty could lead to market volatility, put off talks for a stimulus plan and complicate bankers' planning for a potentially new regulatory environment.

If days go by without a clear result, the uncertainty could lead to market volatility, put off talks for a stimulus plan and complicate bankers' planning for a potentially new regulatory environment.

The industry has enjoyed lower tax rates and regulatory relief during the current administration, but individual donations from the eight largest banks favor the Democratic nominee by more than 4-to-1.

Businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program loans and Economic Injury Disaster advances discovered later they can't get full forgiveness. Lenders want the rules changed.

The legislation would help institutions with less than $15 billion of assets avoid regulatory requirements resulting from participating in the small-business relief program.

USAA Federal Savings Bank’s downgrade shows how customer mistreatment stemming from flaws in internal controls can hurt Community Reinvestment Act scores. Some want consumer compliance to carry more weight in the CRA calculus.

The legislation would extend to the banking system the Civil Rights Act's protections for customers of hotels and restaurants.

House Democrats had already approved a measure blocking the regulation reforming the Community Reinvestment Act, but the resolution faced more resistance in the upper chamber.

Executives are urging Congress and the White House to prioritize another round of help for businesses amid concerns that the continuing restrictions on reopening could lead to more loan defaults.

The industry says the 2017 cut in the corporate rate helped position lenders to support the economy when the pandemic hit. But a plan proposed by Democratic nominee Joe Biden could strain banks' capital investment and hiring, observers say.

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., a potential chair of the Senate Banking Committee in the next Congress, is expected to announce that he is not running in 2022.

New research reveals the financial services industry both prefers and predicts an incumbent win in November.

The news media investigation of transactions by nefarious actors puts certain large banks in a negative light, but it also points to inefficient use of suspicious activity reports and other anti-money-laundering issues that the industry has decried for years.

Measures designed to give banks and credit unions more flexibility to help customers weather the coronavirus pandemic are set to expire Dec. 31 unless Congress renews them.

The future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Fed’s supervisory regime for the biggest financial institutions, reform of the Community Reinvestment Act and a host of other industry-related issues are on the ballot this November.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been slammed for planning an additional refinancing charge to cover COVID-related losses, but the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency defended the policy in House testimony.

Legislation favorable to the industry would be unlikely to pass in a divided Congress, but the biggest benefit for banks and credit unions of Republicans' retaining control of the chamber would be defending against the disruption of a Democratic blue wave.

The Senate Banking Committee met Wednesday to review central bank lending facilities such as the Main Street Lending Program, which provides bank-issued loans to middle-market firms. But some lawmakers on the panel said the focus of pandemic relief has been misplaced.

Several community banks are warning Congress that their participation in the Paycheck Protection Program could cause them to cross a threshold that may lead to, among other things, supervision by the CFPB and a cap on interchange fees.