Law and regulation

The company paid roughly $939,000 to repurchase a warrant that would have allowed the Treasury Department to buy about 543,300 shares of BNC's common stock at $8.63 per share, BNC said in a regulatory filing Thursday.

Big banks hire a former governor (Pawlenty) as their top lobbyist. An FDIC official (Hoenig) slams their behavior. And the FHFA proposes linking GSE fees to foreclosure costs.

A task force led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and formed to probe misconduct in the mortgage market during the run-up to the financial crisis may be getting ready to take action.

Central clearing for over-the-counter contracts will undoubtedly reduce risks, but the market still has multiple regulators and multiple sets of rules for different players and for different instruments.

The attorneys general for Oklahoma, South Carolina and Michigan have joined a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Dodd-Frank Act. They filed a complaint in U.S. District court about provisions in the legislation allowing the FDIC and Treasury to unwind troubled companies.

A Senate panel probing the multibillion-dollar trading loss by JPMorgan Chase plans to unveil its findings at a hearing this year to press regulators to tighten the Volcker rule.

The SEC is seeking to determine whether some private-equity firms are taking more profits from investments than they should under agreements with fund clients, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Three state attorneys general have joined a lawsuit against the Dodd-Frank Act, arguing that provisions that grant federal regulators the ability to seize and wind down troubled banking companies are unconstitutional.

The selection of Tim Pawlenty as the Financial Services Roundtable's new CEO was a shock to those inside and outside Washington. We answer frequently asked questions about why he was chosen and what it means for the Roundtable — and the industry.

The Alabama lender says it intends to lower fees and relax repayment terms in response to customer feedback, not criticism from consumer groups.

The House Ethics Committee will on Friday hold a public meeting on Rep. Maxine Waters, who is under investigation for allegedly helping a Boston-based bank get bailout money during the crisis.

The Federal Reserve Board has terminated written agreements with Capital Community Bancorp. in Provo, Utah, and Coconut Grove Bank in Miami.

Personal motivations aside, many felt the hire made sense for the Financial Services Roundtable since it fortifies the trade group's relationship with Congress. What impact do you think Pawlenty is likely to have on banking policy?

Tim Pawlenty is hardly the first prominent politician to turn into a bank lobbyist. Indeed, there's a long line of them.

WASHINGTON — Comptroller of the Currency Tom Curry defended the use of on-site examiners as part of the agency's supervision program in a speech to the Financial Services Roundtable on Thursday.

Richard Cordray, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director, suggested that lenders should not be overly concerned about potential legal liability for making so-called "qualified mortgages."

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the incoming head of the Financial Services Roundtable and outgoing co-chair of the Romney campaign says the Dodd-Frank Act needs "refining." He also says banks should "stop doing stupid things."

CEO John Stumpf offered candid views on monetary policy, the housing crisis, capital rules and even consumer protection during a panel discussion late Wednesday.

Several merchant groups are asking members of Congress to hear their opposition to the swipe-fee settlement announced in July.

After being named head of the Financial Services Roundtable on Thursday, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty laid out his agenda for the trade group, saying banks need to do more to police themselves.