Stacy Kaper

WASHINGTON — The conference committee made critical changes to the regulatory reform bill in its first substantive week of work, including overhauling the deposit insurance system and dialing back a key capital provision, but the hardest decisions are still ahead.

WASHINGTON — The conference committee made critical changes to the regulatory reform bill in its first substantive week of work, including overhauling the deposit insurance system and dialing back a key capital provision, but the hardest decisions are still ahead.

WASHINGTON — After a heated debate, the regulatory reform conference committee agreed late Thursday to scale back a provision of the bill that would eliminate the use of trust-preferred securities as Tier 1 capital.

WASHINGTON — Regulatory reform conferees tussled Wednesday over provisions that would allow the Government Accountability Office more power to audit the Federal Reserve Board, give shareholders a nonbinding vote on compensation and strengthen investor protections.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the author of a provision in the regulatory reform bill that would eliminate the use of trust-preferred securities as Tier 1 capital, said Tuesday that she was still trying to modify her provision to make it more workable.

President Obama has sent a letter urging House and Senate leaders to quickly pass legislation that would establish a $30 billion fund to boost small-business lending and renewed calls for Congress to tax financial institutions for benefiting from the financial bailout.

Sen. Tom Carper and a dozen other senators sent a letter Monday to conferees on regulatory reform legislation asking that language in the Senate bill on a preemption compromise be included in the final legislation.

The battle over a provision to regulate interchange rates on debit cards heated up Monday as Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., released a report backing his position, and two House lawmakers launched an offensive to remove it.

Fifth Third's gain (William Isaac) is a bank buyout group's loss; Barney Frank watches the clock; Donald Kohn bids adieu ... eventually; and more.

The regulatory reform conference committee officially kicked off Thursday, and while the final fate of key provisions remains up in the air, it is clear senators have several advantages over their House counterparts.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd on Wednesday endorsed a proposal to force banks to spin off their derivatives desks, saying Sen. Blanche Lincoln's primary win this week had increased odds some form of it would be in the final regulatory reform bill.

WASHINGTON — Two days ahead of the official start of a conference on regulatory reform legislation, lawmakers were staking out positions on key issues and hinting at potential compromises.

Interviews with analysts, industry representatives, academics and other sources point to a growing consensus on how some of these issues will play out.

Interviews with analysts, industry representatives, academics and other sources point to a growing consensus on how some of these issues will play out. American Banker offers the following answers to frequently asked questions as a guide to the conference committee's work.

In their war against clamping down on interchange fees, the credit unions are appealing directly to President Obama.

WASHINGTON — As lawmakers begin hashing out differences between the House and Senate regulatory reform bills next week, a big question is how hard proponents will fight for a stand-alone consumer protection agency.

Rep. Barney Frank feels the pain of picking House conferees on reg reform; Rep. Mel Watt has difficulty balancing interests he brings to the table; and more.

The Independent Community Bankers of America and the Credit Union National Association have once again joined forces to oppose Sen. Richard Durbin's interchange amendment in the Senate regulatory reform bill, arguing the provision should not be part of the final legislation.

Senate Democrats tapped mostly liberal members Tuesday to be conferees on the regulatory reform bill, making it harder for the banking industry to remove provisions it considers too tough.

WASHINGTON — The Senate appointed conferees on Tuesday to negotiate differences with the House on regulatory reform legislation and craft a final bill. In a surprise twist, Sen. Patrick Leahy, the No. 2 Democrat on the Agriculture Committee, was named as a conferee instead of Sen. Mark Warner, who was widely expected to be part of the conference.