Law and regulation

With new bank chartering at a standstill, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has issued new guidance on de novo capital requirements and other issues in part to "demystify the application process."

Before the CFPB imposes new rules on overdraft fees, it should consider whether restricting consumer access to this feature could drive people to more expensive alternatives like payday loans.

Banks and regulators aren't the best judges of what constitutes a clear and transparent disclosure form. The CFPB could fix the problem by holding a contest that asks professional designers to create models that convey important information in a way that consumers can understand.

Electronic commerce has made our world closer than ever.

New York Fed President William Dudley insisted Friday that regulators are more like "fire wardens" than "cops on the beat." It's an analogy that says far more than Dudley likely intended — and a comment he will likely regret. Here's why.

Senate Democrats hammered William Dudley, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, at a highly anticipated hearing on Friday, demonstrating the growing pressure the central bank is under to take harsher actions against banks and restrict examiners from defecting to institutions after leaving service.

Federal Reserve Board Gov. Daniel Tarullo updated a Senate subcommittee on a pending proposal dealing with banks' commodity dealings that one lawmaker called "long overdue."

The Federal Housing Administration could finally get something it desperately needs: upgrades to its outdated technology infrastructure. But industry groups object to the new fee being proposed to generate the necessary funding.

Giving roughly 5 million immigrants at least temporary relief from deportation could conceivably ease lenders' and borrowers' qualms about mortgages to undocumented workers who qualify with individual taxpayer identification numbers.

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

The growing influence of nonbank companies poses a danger to the financial system, and perhaps a national security threat, BB&T's Kelly King says during a wide-ranging conversation among big-bank CEOs.

Why are banks missing the early warning signs associated with employee misconduct?

WASHINGTON — Promontory Financial Group announced Friday that it had given financial awards to two small institutions that are expanding banking access to the underbanked.

Banks that do business with the marijuana industry should follow guidance from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network in order to navigate the conflict between state and federal laws, a top-ranking official from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said Thursday.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac updated their representation and warranties frameworks in a move designed to encourage mortgage lenders to ease credit restrictions by limiting repurchase requirements.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a proposal Thursday that would institute new foreclosure protections for consumers after the agency found its previous mortgage rules didn't go far enough.

WASHINGTON — The Financial Stability Oversight Council needs a more formal system for monitoring its process for designating nonbanks as "systemically important," a watchdog said Thursday.

The Federal Reserve announced two separate reviews Thursday to ensure that supervision of the largest banks is being handled correctly.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray highlighted the role of banks and other payment system operators to ensure proper treatment of customers using transaction networks.

The House Financial Services Committee has appointed five subcommittee chairs for the next Congress.