Law and regulation

Attention has largely been focused on merchants seeking to opt out of the deal. But if the Justice Department were to object to the agreement's terms, the judge would likely listen, observers say.

There needs to be stronger incentive for bankers to behave, far-reaching cultural changes spurred by directors and a unilateral commitment to stamp out money-laundering schemes.

A flurry of new mortgage rules are overwhelming home lenders — some they feel are too strict and others too ill-defined to decipher.

Prince, the acclaimed pop and rock star, filed a $116,000 lawsuit against collection agency Capital Asset Protection, claiming it withdrew a six-figure sum from his bank account without permission.

"Analytical, calm and unbiased," is how his former colleagues describe Steven Antonakes, the CFPB's associate director for supervision, enforcement and fair lending. And it's not just fellow regulators signing his praises, industry veterans view him as being constructive force.

Establishing contactless card payments in taxicabs in Barcelona, Spain provides another indication that La Caixa Bank intends to make the city a case study for new payment methods.

Three banks failed Friday – including two in Florida – and will cost the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. an estimated $86 million. Regulators seized the $200 million-asset Excel Bank in Sedalia, Mo.; the $159 million-asset GulfSouth Private Bank in Destin, Fla.; and the $67 million-asset First East Side Savings Bank in Tamarac, Fla.

A group of nine retailers asked a federal judge to approve a multibillion dollar settlement of a lawsuit challenging the way banks and credit card networks set interchange fees.

Federal regulators are reviewing banks' growth plans, particularly those that include third-party companies. To avoid excessive scrutiny, industry experts advise banks to proactively discuss such relationships with examiners.

Regulators have announced the winning bidder for assets of failed Tennessee Commerce Bank.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Spencer Bachus released a report arguing how the Dodd-Frank Act didn’t end too-big-to-fail policies. This comes on the heels of Barney Frank’s report arguing that it did.

After two official presidential debates without much discussion of the mortgage sector, the issue finally came up in a late-night television interview.

With the growing prevalence of card products such as Walmart's Bluebird, the availability and disclosure of the types of safeguards against loss of customer funds is fast becoming a hot topic.

Steven Antonakes, the chief of supervision, enforcement and fair lending at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, brings a track record of fairness to an agency attacked for being hostile to banking.

Vikram Pandit bows out, housing powers higher, banks face new cyber-attacks

The National Credit Union Administration has selected a former examiner to serve as the agency's next executive director, Chairman Debbie Matz announced Thursday.

Regulators can solve the supersized bank problem by removing barriers to market forces. The most important step is to offset the implicit senior debt funding subsidy.

The Bipartisan Policy Center is launching Financial Regulatory Reform Initiative to evaluate the effectiveness of the Dodd-Frank Act.

NCR received a subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over a whistle-blower’s claims that it may have violated anti-bribery laws.

Anyone waiting for a robust discussion of housing policy by the presidential candidates is unlikely to be satisfied. Not only did the issue never come up during the debates, but President Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney haven't said much on the issue at all.