Law and regulation

The Federal Housing Administration could finally get something it desperately needs: upgrades to its outdated technology infrastructure.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.

The National Credit Union Administration's three-member board split along party lines on Thursday in its approval of a $279.5 million operating budget for next year.

Federal Reserve Board Gov. Daniel Tarullo said the agency wants to enforce its liquidity rules in such a way as to ensure that accumulated capital can be deployed in times of economic stress.

A prominent labor group is pressing big banks and investment companies about their payment practices for executives who leave for government service.

The overly complex Dodd-Frank Act came about because policymakers failed to tie regulation and regulatory structure together effectively. The next step in financial reform should be to simplify — and perhaps consolidate — regulatory processes.

Regulators are threatening more action to force improvements in the behavior of bank employees, but executives are shooting back that the task is easier said than done and that change has to come from inside and not through supervisory orders.

A government tool for unloading failed bank assets and minimizing FDIC losses may be used as a vehicle to publicly subsidize private gains in the proposed merger between CIT Group and OneWest Bank.

The Independent Community Bankers of America is taking issue with the White House's selection of investment banker Antonio Weiss to become Treasury undersecretary of domestic finance, joining a growing list of those criticizing the nomination.