Law and regulation

Starting in 2010, regulators warned banks about the risks associated with rising interest rates. The problem has turned out to be just the opposite: persistently low rates.

More than 40% of consumers with complaints about debt collections say they were asked to pay debts they didn't owe. There are a host of reasons for the problem, including inscrutable legal disclosures.

E-commerce carries the promise of transactions without borders or brick and mortar, but it's still a challenge to enter a new market, according to WePay CEO Bill Clerico.

WASHINGTON — Fannie Mae is making its housing counseling requirements more flexible so additional borrowers can qualify for its low-down-payment, affordable loan program called HomeReady.

State Street has agreed to pay $382.4 million to settle U.S. authorities' allegations that it applied hidden markups to clients' currency trades.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is set to unveil a sweeping proposal on debt collection practices this week that would force banks and credit card companies for the first time to comply with federal restrictions. It said the plan would put an end to some of the most egregious practices in the $13.7 billion debt collection industry.

In the years after the financial crisis, as banks were collapsing left and right, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. agreed to cover losses tied to the sale of many failed institutions. Today, loss-share portfolios are shrinking, decreasing by 80% from early 2011, to $18.8 billion at March 31, as many banks negotiate early terminations of their FDIC agreements. Here are some notable banks that got out of their pacts.

Bitcoin is property, not money, a Florida judge ruled Monday in a criminal case against a man accused of money laundering and unlicensed money transmission.

Sens. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton will ensure big banks do not again threaten the financial system.

Despite fears that increased compliance costs from new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules could drive community lenders out of the mortgage business, a watchdog report found that smaller companies remain active.

Most banks are staying away from both the Republican and Democratic national conventions, in part because both parties are engaging in anti-bank rhetoric.

The decision throws out the anti-money laundering charges against Michell Espinoza, who was arrested after agreeing to sell $30,000 to an undercover detective who declared he would use it in an illegal credit card scheme.

Regulators sought to limit improper contact between lenders and appraisers, but policies of the two mortgage giants encourage the kind of practices that contributed to the housing crisis.

The United Kingdom's vote last month to leave the European Union could pose a lasting threat to the global financial system that could spill over into the U.S. economy, according to the Office of Financial Research.

Regulators are removing several items from call reports, including details on troubled-debt restructurings and loss-share portfolios. Bankers are pleased, but the absence of certain data could frustrate outsiders.

Federal regulators warned mortgage servicers Monday that they will still expect them to offer loan modifications to distressed homeowners even after the Home Affordable Modification Program expires at yearend.

Now is the time to correct the mistakes of interchange price controls that harm consumers and community financial institutions to the benefit of merchants.

Multifamily family construction is reaching the point where some markets can't absorb the new supply of units.

Banks typically respond to pending regulations with a mixture of fear and dread, but new cybersecurity requirements being developed by the banking agencies may be met with relief.

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators Friday issued proposals outlining methodologies for establishing how thresholds for certain exemptions to Truth in Lending requirements would be set.