Victoria Finkle

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is urging regulators to disclose the extent of their efforts to pursue cases against individuals and institutions, highlighting the work of the Special Inspector General of the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

In just under a year, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp has emerged as a key player on the Banking Committee, helping to work on a bipartisan housing finance reform bill and championing legislation to provide relief to small banks.

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and financial industry officials warned lawmakers on Thursday about the multitude of economic consequences that a default on government debt could bring, just days before the country reaches its borrowing limit.

Receiving Wide Coverage ...A Deal to Be Had? Finally? All eyes remain fixed on Washington this week, as patience wears thin and lawmakers try to come up with an agreement to end the government shutdown and avert the looming debt ceiling. Democrats and Republicans have so far refused to negotiate with one another, but signs of a deal may be starting to emerge. (The game of chicken can only go on so long before the cars actually crash.) GOP Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin shared a plan with fellow conservatives on Wednesday that would raise the debt ceiling temporarily, buying lawmakers more time to come up with a comprehensive deficit-reduction agreement. House Republicans are set to meet with President Obama on Thursday for the first time since the shutdown began on Oct. 1. Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times

Bankers warn that a default on certain Treasuries could put market collateral at risk, harm overnight lending, drain key sources of liquidity from the market and shatter consumer confidence.

WASHINGTON — The Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing next week examining the possibility of the U.S. defaulting on its debt.

Carol Galante, the Federal Housing Administration's commissioner, sought to clarify the agency's plans for a government shutdown on Tuesday, emphasizing that it will continue to endorse single-family loans during the shutdown in contrast to earlier reports.

Timothy Pawlenty, president and chief executive of the Financial Services Roundtable, said Tuesday that housing finance reform is unlikely to pass until after the 2014 mid-term elections.

Rep. Spencer Bachus, former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said Monday that he will not seek reelection in 2014.

The banking regulators will remain open in the event of a government shutdown, but the ongoing fiscal battle in Congress could still have significant implications for the financial services industry.

The Federal Housing Administration is asking for a $1.7 billion draw from the U.S. Treasury for the end of the fiscal year, up from an earlier estimate in President Obama's April budget.

The Federal Housing Administration is facing a bailout for the first time in its almost 80-year history, raising a host of fresh questions about the potential for standalone legislation to the reform the agency.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren hinted at her views on GSE reform briefly Thursday, though it's still unclear whether she will support a bill introduced this summer by Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Mark Warner, D-Va.

Sen. Bob Corker, a co-author of legislation to overhaul the mortgage finance market, forcefully defended his proposal that private capital take at least 10% of the first loss on mortgage-backed securities. Others predicted that he'll have to water it down to advance the bill.

Community bankers may have a long wish list of legislative changes for Congress to consider, but it is unlikely lawmakers will take up a comprehensive bill addressing those issues anytime soon.

In order to prevent cyber attacks and keep the financial system safe, banks have to understand the key threats to the industry. We asked two top banking regulators what they're worried about right now.

Lawmakers are scheduled to examine concerns on Wednesday that a hike in flood insurance premiums set to go into effect this fall could topple the still weakened real estate market.

American Express, Wells Fargo and Citigroup are continuing to sell controversial credit card payment protection and monitoring services, even as the industry braces for a second round of regulatory crackdowns.

Former Rep. Barney Frank has joined a growing chorus of observers warning that an exemption in regulators' proposed risk retention rule for mortgages is overly broad.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren continued her drive to end "too big to fail" in a speech on Thursday, arguing lawmakers shouldn't wait until regulators have fully implemented the Dodd-Frank Act before taking action.