Law and regulation

Google will provide deposit insurance backing for funds stored with its wallet service, positioning the technology giant along with stored-value providers that use the FDIC's "pass-through" coverage. Here's why that matters.

Golden State regulators want to bar Internet lenders from linking electronically to borrowers' bank accounts and instead require them to accept paper checks as repayment. The proposal is a technological step backward, and it could ultimately force many online lenders to pull out of the nation's largest state.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Monday that it has ordered Fort Knox National Company to pay more than $3 million in restitution on grounds that a subsidiary hid certain fees charged to servicemembers.

The Federal Reserve, criticized by lawmakers for being too cozy with Wall Street, is considering tougher measures to restrict bank examiners from leaving to take jobs at firms they have overseen.

Banks and public interest groups are squaring off on whether the Federal Reserve Board should extend its proposed capital surcharge on the largest and most complex U.S. banks to be included in the agency's annual stress test analyses.

Former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker proposed a massive shake-up of the U.S. financial regulatory system on Monday that would consolidate oversight into three super regulators.

Sens. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., have unveiled legislation that would allow more community banks to qualify for an 18-month exam schedule rather than an annual one.

WASHINGTON — Consumers may see little change in the ultimate cost of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans despite a restructuring of certain loan fees announced Friday by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including thoughts on the sale of GE Capital and how the CFPB's new mortgage disclosure forms will shake up the industry.

Hillary Clinton said Friday she had tapped Gary Gensler, the former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, as the chief financial officer of her 2016 presidential campaign, a move that will likely bolster her credibility as a hawk on Wall Street regulation.

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.

President Obama has tapped the acting head of the Treasury Department’s anti-money laundering and terrorism office to lead the department permanently.

WASHINGTON — Sens. Thomas Carper, D-Del., and Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, introduced a bill this week that would establish national data security and notification standards.

FHFA's reduction appears likely to involve loan level price adjustments that the two government-sponsored enterprises charge borrowers and adverse market fees charged on every loan, but not a guarantee fee reduction that the industry has sought.

Despite a strong industry push, a bill to amend the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's "qualified mortgage" rule is facing an uphill battle to enactment this year.

Mortgage lenders are stressed about how the CFPB's new mortgage disclosure rule will impact their business. But the new forms may give them a chance to improve business performance.

First Republic Bank reported higher quarterly profit, though loan growth pushed the San Francisco company above $50 billion in assets.

Some industry observers argue that bank consolidation is driven by economies of scale rather than by the regulatory burdens imposed under Dodd-Frank. But the two factors actually go hand in hand.

The House approved eight regulatory relief bills Tuesday evening, including two controversial measures opposed by a number of Democratic lawmakers and the White House.

WASHINGTON — The Senate Banking Committee announced Wednesday that it has scheduled a vote for highly anticipated regulatory relief legislation on May 14.