Law and regulation

WASHINGTON — Small banks are being crushed under the weight of regulations associated with the Dodd-Frank Act, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen acknowledged Thursday, but regulators are working to reduce that burden.

Contrary to industry representatives' opinion, overdraft rules are necessary for a service that has become a revenue driver for banks.

In a report assessing the impact of a 2009 reform law, the agency cited concerns on debt collection, deceptive rewards programs and so-called deferred interest products.

Several lawmakers criticized efforts to include controversial banking policy riders in a yearend deal on Wednesday evening.

The availability of home loans for low credit score borrowers remains very tight by historical standards but there might be some loosening in 2016 if the Federal Reserve begins raising interest rates.

The Federal Reserve’s regional banks are reporting a moderate but noticeable overall boost in demand for both commercial and consumer loans and financial services in recent months.

The sweeping, five-year highway bill may include some key concessions for small financial institutions, but the deal has left many in the industry frustrated. Here's why.

Unlike the high-profile hacking incidents at big banks, smaller institutions have their own breed of threats such as cyberextortion that they must focus on in strengthening their security.

WASHINGTON — New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed a requirement on Tuesday that could put bank compliance officers on the hook if a bank's anti-money-laundering system fails to meet state standards.

Add retail customers to the list of groups raising concerns about possible high-pressure product-sales tactics at Wells Fargo; many of them are considering jumping ship in response, according to a new survey of customer attitudes at big banks. However, Wells' rivals shouldn't celebrate — they are at risk of losing customers, too, for a variety of reasons.

Sage Bank in Lowell, Mass., has agreed to pay about $1.2 million to settle Justice Department allegations of discrimination against minorities in mortgage lending.

WASHINGTON — Community banks are poised to score a big win after details about negotiations over a major highway spending bill emerged Tuesday.

Premara Financial in Charlotte, N.C., has raised $8.5 million in a stock offering and plans to exit the Small Business Lending Fund program.

It is wrong to claim the Federal Reserve's proposal requiring "total loss-absorbing capacity" will perpetuate the "too big to fail" problem. Indeed, it is just the opposite.

Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley became the latest big banks Monday to promise to cut their support for the coal industry in the name of reducing the pollution blamed for global warming.

Despite the House Financial Services Committee's passage of a bill to convert the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's leadership structure from a single director to a commission, Democrats have largely opposed the bill.

Broadway Financial Corp. in Los Angeles has been released from an enforcement action requiring it to improve its corporate governance.

Richard Cordray, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, takes issue with American Banker's recent story about errors in the agency's complaint database.

The Federal Reserve Board finalized a regulation that further narrows its ability to provide emergency funds to companies in a crisis.

Congress has a packed agenda this December with major budget and transportation bills in the works that may contain key changes for the banking industry.