Law and regulation

The courts' indecision as to whether whistle-blowers who report wrongdoing internally are protected by Dodd-Frank sends one clear message: Come forward at your own risk.

The Institute of International Bankers backed an initiative by Rep. Spencer Bachus, chairman of the House Financial Services, to consider other legislative alternatives to the "Volcker Rule."

Edward DeMarco, acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, said Monday the agency will unveil a new representation and warranties model for conventional loans to help minimize risk exposure to lenders.

The standard definition of SIFIs is essentially useless. What was intended to be a limited Congressional power has expanded into a blank check to act in any case where there is an aggregate effect on economic activity.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle is treading back into safer waters, after a near shutdown a few years earlier, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said Monday.

In bailing out the financial sector, government officials pandered to big banks, dismissed warnings about taxpayer ripped-offs and misled the public about its intentions. So says the former Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Senate Democrats tried Monday to revive a mortgage refinancing bill, reintroducing a slimmed-down version of the measure in the hope of wooing Republicans.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner was among 5,000 entrants that participated in the Nation's Triathlon on Sunday, including a 1500-meter swim, 40K bike ride and 10K run.

Agency is reviewing exam and rule-writing policies to explore ways to make regulation more efficient for community banks.

Starting Oct. 1, issuers with effective fraud reduction strategies will be eligible to make more money off debit card transactions. To reap the benefits of the Fed's new rule, banks will need to work together.

Lacking the authority to control fellow regulators' data operations, the Office of Financial Research may still play an important risk management role — but only by getting along with other agencies.

The recent party events in Tampa and Charlotte illustrate just how much relations between bankers and politicians have changed over the past few years.

Increasingly burdensome requirements, such as small business panels and cost-benefit analysis, inhibit writing of new regulations. But substituting enforcement actions that unevenly apply vague or unwritten rules betrays the regulatory mandate.

Maryland residents who were part of a class-action lawsuit against several collection agencies will have their debts erased and lawsuits against them dropped, according to a settlement.

The inclusion of secondary capital as part of credit unions' net worth would give them yet another unfair regulatory advantage over banks.

Treasury is offering to sell $18 billion of American International Group shares in a transaction that will cut the U.S. stake in the firm to below 50% for the first time since its 2008 bailout.

Cashmere Valley Bank in Washington State is a case study of a small bank grappling with the regulatory uncertainties of Dodd-Frank implementation. And it is one of many banks that have looked outside its own IT department for help.

Global Financial Markets Association, which represents the banking industry in Brussels, Washington and Hong Kong, says major financial benchmarks should be regulated following the Libor-rigging scandal.

Advanced encryption methods, mobile payment security and various other technologies figure to be major topics once again when the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council's participants meet this week.

Even with Wall Street and consumer advocates allied in pushing for it, a Securities and Exchange Commission proposal to raise standards for brokers advising retail investors has run aground.