Law and regulation

The Federal Communications Commission rejected requests by banks and other companies that would have curbed lawsuits over unwanted phone calls to consumers.

The U.S. plans to feature a woman on its currency notes for the first time since Martha Washington adorned silver certificates more than a century ago, the Treasury Department said.

WASHINGTON — The House Appropriations Committee approved legislation Wednesday to subject the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to the federal appropriations process and block the agency from issuing a rule on mandatory arbitration clauses.

The chair of the Federal Reserve said that though it takes the Community Reinvestment Act "very seriously," it is looking at possible changes to the rules implementing the 1977 anti-redlining law to address concerns that it is too lax.

WASHINGTON — After months of declining industry and congressional pleas to delay an impending rule combining two mortgage disclosure regimes, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday announced a two-month delay due to an "administrative error."

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew downplayed concerns by House Republicans Thursday that financial regulation is a key driver in spurring recent market volatility and a possible reduction in liquidity.

Six servicers were cited for a range of infractions, including a failure to respond to requests for loan modifications and not doing enough to prevent foreclosures. Punishment was harsh for Wells Fargo and HSBC, which are banned from acquiring mortgage servicing rights and entering into new servicing contracts.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has sued an Ohio auto lender for alleged bullying tactics in trying to collect debts from military personnel.

Glenn Moyer, the former banking commissioner of Pennsylvania, has joined a banking risk-management consulting firm.

Signature Bank in New York has added former Rep. Barney Frank to its board. The $29 billion-asset company said that Frank filled a seat previously held by Alfred DelBello, a former lieutenant governor of New York who died last month. This is Frank's first appointment to a bank board.

BOK Financial in Tulsa, Okla., and Webster Financial in Waterbury, Conn., each reported that its Tier 1 common equity ratio would remain above regulators' minimum guideline, as regional banks continue to disclose Dodd-Frank Act stress-test results.

Once the government makes the decision to prosecute, it's often to the fullest extent of the law — unless, of course, you head up a megabank.

Payday lending activity increased in California last year, but the size of loans and fees charged both declined, according to a new report from California's banking regulator.

Six banks including JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo have been placed under further business restrictions after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency determined they had yet to fully meet regulatory orders related to the independent foreclosure review which began in 2011.

Whether you're in the mood to read about the checkered history of the Vatican Bank or how Bitcoin's colorful cast of characters endeavor to shape the future of money, there's a book to suit every taste in this year's recommended reading list. Here's what American Banker's readers, staff and BankThink contributors are taking to the beach this summer.

The FDIC is proposing a complicated and expensive record-keeping requirement to prepare for the unlikely event that it liquidates a large failed institution instead of transferring its deposits to another bank.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is set to revamp deposit insurance premiums to make them more risk-sensitive, targeting areas that caused institutions to fail during the financial crisis.

Six regional banks have reported their stress-test results under Dodd-Frank for the first time, projecting Tier 1 common equity ratios ranging from 8.04% to 11.4% after an economic shock. However, several also projected multimillion-dollar losses during the stressful period.

Some argue that nonbank mortgage lenders' rising market share poses a risk to the financial system. But this belief arises from an inaccurate understanding of what is in fact a well-regulated sector.

Banks with assets totaling between $10 billion and $50 billion have begun publishing the results of their Dodd-Frank Act mandated stress tests this week and will continue to do so through the end of the month, providing a new window into the workings of regional institutions.