Law and regulation

In a slow stretch for issuance of bank shares, companies looking to raise capital for acquisitions have come to the fore in offerings that have performed relatively well.

The effective tax rate for banks has dropped to a range of roughly 30% to 32%, down from a range of roughly 32% to 33% in the years leading up to the recession. Recoveries of deferred tax assets might be the reason.

Bankers are reluctant to embrace cloud computing based on a variety of security and regulatory fears, concerns that aren't matched by reality.

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Upheaval in funding markets has radically reshaped the liability profile of foreign bank operations in the United States, but they have continued to increase lending despite an exodus of deposits that began in the middle of last year.

As Washington starts to look at the rapidly emerging sphere, some in the industry are calling for regulators to level the playing field, while others are warning that regulation may stifle innovation.

It's been more than a month since James Freis, the director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, was abruptly dismissed from that position.

The Financial Services Forum announced Friday that it has named Laena Fallon as its vice president for communications, effective in August.

The government plans to collect $137 million from some of the nation's biggest banks and financial firms to help cover the cost of a new research office officials hope can help prevent future financial calamities.

Regulators revealed on Friday this year's list of communities where banks can receive credit under the Community Reinvestment Act for working in those areas.

Regulators have entered into a consent order with First Bank of Miami that requires the Coral Gables, Fla., company to maintain certain capital levels and ensure compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act.

American Express plans to begin issuing secure chip cards in the U.S. this year, and it has released a timeline for merchants to follow in accepting those cards. Like every other network's roadmap, Amex sticks closely to the plan Visa announced last August.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. As excerpted from the Comments sections of AmericanBanker.com articles.

Nine of the most systemically important banks will submit their resolution plans to the FDIC and Federal Reserve by Tuesday, with the public portion of the so-called living wills expected to be released that afternoon.

Brian Sack, the head of the New York Fed's markets group, has rescinded his resignation and will stay with the bank as a senior adviser to President William Dudley.

Alleged panaceas abound for the banking industry's ills. Unfortunately, many are likely to prove less effective than advertised, cause collateral damage, or both. Here's a look at some of the most popular silver-bullet proposals and their shortcomings.

The high court declined to rule this week in a case involving the right of consumers to sue banks for failing to post ATM fees. That leads banks back to Capitol Hill in their quest for relief from a costly spate of nuisance lawsuits.

Robert Maddox, who negotiated the $25 billion national mortgage settlement on behalf of Ally Financial, insists that the penalty far exceeds the damage done to borrowers.

Many borrowers with great credit can't get financing rates commensurate with their low risk. There's a major opportunity for banks to generate attractive returns by providing fairly priced student loans to these customers.

Rep. Barney Frank says the Supreme Court's ruling on Thursday to uphold President Obama's healthcare reform legislation gives a bleak outlook for legal opposition to Obama's other major piece of legislation: the Dodd-Frank Act.