Law and regulation

An SEC fine of a Pennsylvania bank over an accounting matter from more than five years ago raises questions about how long community banks should be on guard about challenges to their conduct during the financial crisis.

The New Jersey Assembly is weighing whether to pursue legislation that would make the state a haven for digital currency businesses.

In an interview, FHFA Director Mel Watt said there needs to be greater clarity to ensure some entities aren't taking improper advantage of Federal Home Loan Bank membership.

A subprime credit card company in Delaware agreed to pay nearly $3 million in refunds and penalties for allegedly charging fees that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says violated federal law.

Regulators are confused about whether to use capital buffers as a tool to stamp out "too big to fail" banks or as a cushion to protect the financial system from the next crisis. But the Dodd-Frank Act gives them a clear mandate: to eliminate market expectations of a government bailout.

Stephen Platt, regulatory investigations consultant and author of "Criminal Capital: How the Finance Industry Facilitates Crime," explains his misgivings about the idea of a shared know-your-customer registry for the industry.

WASHINGTON — The Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday examining regulatory relief for small banks and credit unions, kicking off what is expected to be a central debate this term over changes to the Dodd-Frank Act.

The CFPB has a historic opportunity to fix the small-dollar loan market by emulating Colorado's reforms. That would mean requiring all payday lenders to offer affordable installment payments and cracking down on deceptive practices like loan flipping.

The Federal Housing Administration's new foreclosure relief options for nonborrowing spouses of reverse mortgage customers will increase loan servicers' costs, and some question how many consumers they will actually help.

While lawmakers are calling for a bill to raise Dodd-Frank's unpopular $50 billion threshold for banks to be considered "systemically important," regulators actually have the power to do it without legislation.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking to permanently ban a credit provider in Texas from offering any services because of allegations that it ran a "sham credit card" business.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking to permanently ban a credit provider in Texas from offering any services because of allegations that it ran a "sham credit card" business.

Efforts by investors in the government-sponsored enterprises to find a more friendly court to challenge the government's management of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fell flat in Iowa.

WASHINGTON — The acquirer of a for-profit college chain sued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will forgive over $480 million in student debt under a deal announced Tuesday.

The CFPB's "Safe Student Banking" initiative is designed to pressure students' educational and financial institutions into offering young people narrow options.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. issued five consent orders in December, according to the agency's most recent summary of enforcement actions.

WASHINGTON — Lenders are concerned about the performance of syndicated leveraged commercial and industrial loans in 2015, a Fed survey said Monday, underlining regulators' worries that such loans may be a source of systemic risk.

Bank of America is following Wells Fargo by putting out for sale the last of its federally guaranteed student loans. The move should be positive for the bank, and in theory it may even have a chance to again reap returns tied to the loans, but without bearing all of the risk.

President Obama's 2016 budget plan tackled a host of big picture items for banking, including Dodd-Frank reform, CFPB funding, cybersecurity, as well as FHA and SBA lending. Here's what banks need to know.

President Obama is making a renewed push to boost funding for Wall Street's top cops after regulators said budget constraints were keeping them from enforcing rules put in place after the financial crisis.