Law and regulation

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including the merits and drawbacks of Sen. Richard Shelby's regulatory reform legislation, whether bigger banks are inherently riskier and banks' evolving interest in blockchain technology.

Proposed new rules from the CFPB could wind up forcing banks out of the small-dollar lending business, leaving cash-strapped consumers with fewer borrowing options.

Fannie and Freddie's profits depend on having their obligations backed by the U.S. Treasury. Therefore they should have to pay a sensible price for this backstop — just like big banks.

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 from our social media platforms.

First United in Oakland, Md., will exit the Troubled Asset Relief Program after winning an auction to repurchase a warrant from the U.S. Treasury Department.

WASHINGTON — The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has no plans to review the charters of JPMorgan Chase or Citicorp following their agreement to plead guilty to criminal charges related to currency rigging, according to Comptroller Thomas Curry.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve Board proposed a change Thursday to its recently finalized liquidity rules for the largest U.S. banks that would allow certain municipal and state bonds to qualify as high-quality liquid assets.

Last year the mail carrier's office of inspector general suggested a potential expansion into small-dollar lending, but the ambitions laid forth in a new report have been scaled back considerably.

Lawmakers on the Senate Banking Committee may still stand divided on regulatory reform, but Thursday's markup points to ongoing desire for a way forward.

The Federal Reserve Board is taking public comment on whether to require member banks to move to same-day payments after an industry group voted to mandate faster payments among the nation’s 12,000 financial institutions.

The Federal Reserve Board Thursday said that it is taking public comment on whether to require member banks to move to same-day payments after an industry group voted to mandate faster payments among the nation's 12,000 financial institutions.

It took three or so days to settle stock trades. What if that could happen instantly and be recorded on a blockchain for everyone to see?

WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is scheduled to release the Quarterly Banking Profile for the first quarter of 2015 on May 27.

Promontory said Wednesday that it acquired FS Advisory from Date, who founded the consulting practice along with Fenway Summer in 2013 after leaving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as deputy director.

The Senate Banking Committee approved a broad regulatory reform bill Thursday on party lines, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle vowing to continue negotiations this summer.

The government agency that proposed a controversial expansion by the U.S. Postal Service into financial services now acknowledges that its big ideas would probably require the passage of new legislation.

Now that two of the biggest U.S. banks are convicted felons, the Justice Department appears to have proven the point it set out to make a year ago — that it could deliver the harshest penalty possible against financial institutions without inflicting fatal wounds. It may be a tough act to follow.

Nonbank servicers selling and buying Fannie and Freddie MSRs must meet new capital and liquidity requirement to transfer servicing.

Despite strong rhetoric from both sides that legislative action is needed to help community banks, Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee remain divided in their approaches ahead of a markup Thursday.

WASHINGTON — The Financial Stability Oversight Council is encouraging mortgage agencies to continue clarifying when lenders must repurchase defective loans.