Law and regulation

Republican lawmakers have asked the Treasury Department's inspector general to investigate whether the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's policies are encouraging banks to cut ties with entire lines of business or banks in other countries.

Installment lenders are concerned that efforts by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to curb the most abusive and predatory practices associated with payday loans will wreak havoc on their business.

Federal Reserve Board Gov. Daniel Tarullo acknowledged that capital requirements for smaller banks are too complicated, suggesting they could be retooled to be like earlier Basel Committee standards.

Under Rep. Jeb Hensarling’s proposed legislation, some banks might raise capital levels to get regulatory relief. Others might choose to grin and bear the current level of micromanagement. The result would be a more diverse banking sector.

Wells Fargo got less than it wanted in a federal tax-refund lawsuit, yet the bank's partial victory may spur billions of dollars in similar refund claims from companies that have done repeated mergers and acquisitions, tax lawyers say.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency has opened the door to experimenting with front-end credit risk transfer transactions, but it is not wide enough for some market players.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is keeping lenders in the dark about how it will ensure borrower data is secure and private under the expanded Home Mortgage Disclosure Act reporting requirements.

While fintech companies are urging federal regulators to create a federal charter that would allow them to follow a single national standard instead of a myriad of state rules, such a benefit will almost certainly come with strings attached, including possible compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney pledged to shore up financial stability as he warned that the risks from Britain's decision to leave the European Union have started to crystallize.

Fannie and Freddie regulator's first report on NPL sales shows more borrowers avoid foreclosures when their loans are sold to investors.

Some critics of the bureau think there is a renewed chance to change the bureau's structure. They point to the presidential election and recent setbacks to CFPB Director Richard Cordray, including a watchdog's report on employee discrimination and a pending legal challenge to its constitutionality, as laying the groundwork for a change.

U.S banks have come a long way from the early days of the stress tests, when it was unclear if any would pass. The majority of banks easily cleared the 5% minimum level for capital under the severely adverse scenario as well as the vaguer qualitative test the Federal Reserve Board imposes, suggesting institutions have finally gotten a handle on the process. Still, it's useful to see which banks improved from last year, as well as the few which fell toward the back of the back.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Thursday that it paid $24.5 million in restitution to consumers after uncovering illegal activities in auto finance and payment firms in the first four months of this year.

NPL investors will have to consider principal reductions and offer more sustainable loan modifications.

Heather Cox says Citi cherry-picks the best of fintech apps for its own services; FemTech leaders ponder what Brexit means for fintech; and SEC chair Mary Jo White takes on board diversity. Plus, Synovus' Liz Dukes Wolverton and Synchrony's Carol Juel.

Banks, credit card companies and other financial firms are strategizing ways to stave off higher legal bills they expect from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s proposal to limit the use of arbitration clauses, which is likely to open the floodgates to class action lawsuits.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has difficulties supervising its government travel card program and has reimbursed some employees for lodging and meals while not on official travel, a watchdog said Thursday.

IBM has joined the Chamber of Digital Commerce, the Washington, D.C.-based organization working to help shape the regulatory framework for the blockchain industry.

Attendees at the recent White House fintech summit shined a spotlight on shared innovation challenges. To overcome them and help the U.S. make progress in financial services, we need to embrace these three regulatory reforms.