Law and regulation

The agency's blueprint calls for giving lenders added underwriting flexibility, as well as upping the number of for-profit nondepository small-business lending companies, which has been capped at 14 since the early 1980s

The small businesses said in a lawsuit that the bank used "misleading marketing and business practices" to rake in processing fees from oversized Paycheck Protection Program loans. A bank spokesperson placed responsibility on PPP borrowers for the representations they made in loan applications.

Some lenders to companies owned by women, minorities and veterans say they'd prefer that the Small Business Administration strengthen its Community Advantage program rather than bring them into the agency's flagship loan-guarantee program.

In an appeals court filing, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wrote that a federal judge "ignored regulatory text, history and context" when she ruled against a PNC customer. The consumer argues that the bank shouldn't have pulled funds from his checking account after he was tardy in making payments on his home equity line of credit.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is investigating whether the cryptocurrency lender Nexo Financial is abiding by consumer protection laws, according to documents released this week. The CFPB rejected the company's argument that the agency has no authority to conduct the probe.

A recent mini-tender offer to shareholders in Truist Financial serves as a cautionary tale. "They're trolling around for investors that aren't paying attention," one lawyer said.

In a joint letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, three industry groups challenged the legal basis for a recent information request and accused the agency of unfairly disparaging the quality of customer service that banks provide.

The National Credit Union Administration voted to raise the asset threshold for credit unions falling under its Office of National Examinations and Supervision to $15 billion, making sure that office remains focused on only the biggest institutions.

GOP lawmakers on Thursday accused SEC Chair Gary Gensler of disregarding their recent request for more information about proposed climate risk disclosure rules. The episode offers a preview of the aggressive oversight Biden administration regulators are likely to face next year should Republicans take control of the House or Senate.

The National Credit Union Administration is considering a rule that would bring its cyber incident reporting framework into alignment with those of other regulators, but would still be more permissive than the 36-hour limit imposed on banks.