Law and regulation

As a former banker, I watched in amazement and disgust as the country's largest banks morphed from trusted fiduciaries of customer financial assets to unrepentant predators of consumer financial assets in just a few decades.

As the president challenged Republicans to support his refinancing initiative, his administration quietly backed away from a proposal to pay for the plan by imposing a tax on banks.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has dismissed one of the consultants overseeing a massive foreclosure review after it discovered a conflict of interest in outside work the company has performed.

Even before JPMorgan Chase announced its $2 billion trading loss, fewer than two out of five readers said CEO Jamie Dimon was "spot on" in declaring banks are healthiest when Washington doesn't meddle.

I guess I'm tired of reading and hearing banks and their managements cursed, ridiculed and extolled for causing the financial meltdown and economic crisis. It seems that most everyone from Washington to the "Occupy" groups wants a piece of banking's hide for the pain of this recent experience.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau outlined rules this week that would place new restrictions on mortgage origination points and fees, as well as originator compensation.

Donald H. Layton, formerly head of E-Trade, seeks to streamline operations at Freddie, cites strain of operating under conservatorship and describes his motivation as public service.

At a panel at the Chicago Fed regulatory conference, experts split on the right amount — and makeup — of capital needed to ensure a safe banking system.

Acting FDIC Chairman Marty Gruenberg presented a detail-heavy speech Thursday intended to persuade skeptical investors that the FDIC is willing and able to take down a large, failing firm.

The two House Democrats introduced a bill that mirrors Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown's Safe Banking Act.

Freddie Mac (FMCC) named Donald Layton, the former chief executive of online brokerage E-Trade Financial Corp. (ETFC), as its new CEO on Thursday.

In a letter to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, Sen. Robert Casey of Pennsylvania questioned whether Chinese banks will use state support to undercut U.S. competitors.

I've never been able to square bankers' constant demands for less regulation with their repeated requests for more government backing on loans, deposits and insurance.

The Federal Reserve Board has entered into written agreements requiring two holding companies to serve as sources of strength for their community banks.

Despite richer returns available further out on the yield curve, large banks have generally not shifted toward long-dated securities, according to regulatory data.

The U.S. government likes small businesses — in a quaint, 20th-century way. It will bend over backward to support lending to these economic engines, but it won't adequately safeguard their online bank accounts against a more modern plague: hacking.

Expatriates of Somalia threaten to close their accounts at U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo unless the banks wire their money to suffering family members back home. But the big banks, and others in the industry, say federal rules make it too hard to offer the service.

The two Democratic senators said Thursday that FHFA Acting Director Edward DeMarco should act now to make it easier for homeowners to refinance.

The best way to stave off regulatory excess in the wake of a financial crisis is to stop causing crises in the first place. More restraint on financial institutions' part could help.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants banks to collect all customer complaints in one unified, companywide database, a lawyer at Santander's Sovereign Bank said on Thursday morning.