Law and regulation

Revising the current control rules could give banks access to more capital from private equity, hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Banks victimized by loan fraud, identity theft, embezzlement and other crimes may be reluctant to cooperate with federal authorities. But it's often worth their while.

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The Federal Housing Finance Agency will require nonbank mortgage firms to meet minimum liquidity and net worth standards to curb risks to taxpayers from the rapidly expanding industry.

The Senate Banking Committee is already out of the gate with legislation on Iranian sanctions this week, but the fast movement has shed light on early friction between the panel's chairman and ranking member.

Federal Reserve Gov. Daniel Tarullo says "shadow banking" is another source of systemic concern for bank regulators

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

Green Dot Corp. plans to start offering credit lines to its customers, a move that likely foreshadows how new regulations will reshape the prepaid card industry.

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 social media platforms and the blogosphere.

Two Republican legislators have suggested that affordable housing funding should be put on hold until Congress finally decides what to do about Fannie and Freddie. But why give Congress another six years to fiddle around with housing finance while the poor and homeless face a declining level of government housing assistance?

The Federal Reserve Board is seeking public comment on a proposal that would exempt banks with less than $1 billion in total assets from certain debt limits, a move favored by community banks.

The ability of Somali-Americans to send cash home to their relatives is again in peril after a California bank decided to stop facilitating the money transfers, according to a foreign aid organization that has been monitoring the situation.

No matter how the European payments landscape looks after the European Commission's new version of the Payment Services Directive takes effect, merchants can almost certainly expect lower rates for accepting card transactions.

Federal Reserve officials suggested that anonymous payments and the technologies powering digital currencies could inform broader plans for reshaping the U.S. payment system.

In yet another revision of its mortgage rules, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed making it easier for small and rural lenders to make "qualified mortgages." Industry representatives said the changes are poised to make a big difference.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to review loan modifications offered by private student lenders, a business that the agency has said victimized some borrowers with subprime-style debt.

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department has exceeded its authority by keeping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in conservatorship so long and taking all their profits, two legislative experts said Thursday.

Federal regulators announced guidance Thursday that provides principles institutions should consider in setting policies and procedures for originating private student loans with graduated repayment terms.

Banks have made progress cutting their exposure to risky home equity lines of credit, ahead of a key 10-year threshold when billions of dollars of them will reset to higher monthly payments. But there are some prominent exceptions, especially among regional banks.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday proposed a series of regulatory relief measures for small institutions, especially those in rural areas, to help them provide credit while they try to follow the agency's tough mortgage rules.