Law and regulation

The FDIC and Federal Reserve banks are revamping procedures to meet new legislative and regulatory demands.

Maryland regulators have suspended the collection licenses of LVNV Funding LLC and Resurgent Capital Services and ordered them to stop collecting from consumers in the state.

The FDIC has filed a lawsuit against former directors and executives at the failed Mutual Bank, claiming, among other things, that $250,000 was spent on a lavish wedding that management detailed as a bank function.

A watchdog agency said Monday the Federal Reserve Board could have done more to document the basis for its 2008 bailout of insurance giant American International Group Inc.

Fannie Mae Monday morning confirmed to National Mortgage News that its multifamily unit is the subject of an Inspector General probe being conducted by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Although they will not be supervised by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, executives of small financial institutions told a congressional panel Monday they remain uneasy about the effect the bureau will have on their businesses.

The debit card fee dominoes are falling, leaving Bank of America Corp. increasingly alone in its controversial effort to make customers pay for using their debit cards.

The debit-card fee dominoes are falling, leaving Bank of America Corp. increasingly alone in its controversial efforts to make customers pay for using their debit cards.

The Republican presidential contenders have begun to coalesce around a rough consensus on financial issues, which rejects not only the record of the Obama administration, but also some key accomplishments of George W. Bush's administration.

On financial policy, the Republican presidential field has been gravitating to the right. Here is a look at where several of the contenders stand on key issues.

Wells Fargo & Co. on Oct. 28 became the latest big bank to abandon plans to start charging customers for using debit cards in the wake of a widespread backlash against new bank fees.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Monday it has suspended MF Global Inc., a subsidiary of MF Global Holdings Ltd., from conducting new business with it.

Photos of a Halloween office party at a foreclosure law firm, obtained by the Times' Joe Nocera, are nearly as appalling as the Abu Ghraib torture pics.

Wells Fargo & Co. became the largest big bank to abandon plans to start charging customers for using their debit cards, in the wake of a widespread backlash against new bank fees.

The Occupy Wall Street protestors have been invited to participate in the Greenwich Village Halloween parade, and have set up a website encouraging their members to dress the part.

Did Elizabeth Warren make a serious political misstep on the campaign trail last week? Warren backed off of statements she made that her work over the years had "created much of the intellectual foundation" for the Occupy Wall Street protests.

Since retiring from the Senate in January, Chris Dodd for months maintained a public silence about the landmark financial reform legislation that bears his name.

On Oct. 25 MetLife announced that the Federal Reserve had denied its request for approval of its capital distribution plan that included a dividend increase and resumption of stock repurchases. Likely it is a reflection of a prudent regulator. Rather than make an isolated determination on a single company, the Fed probably prefers to await results from its planned 2012 cross-institution analysis of the largest U.S. bank holding companies. MetLife's participation in that analysis underscores its systemic importance.

Obstacles and opportunities for banks in calls for consumers to move their money.

It's not just banks that are raising prices after changes to the rates that merchants pay to accept debit cards — on Thursday, Coinstar's Redbox DVD rental service said debit fees are driving its prices up by 20 cents a day. Other kiosk-based businesses may have to follow its example.