Law and regulation

New York's top banking regulator Benjamin Lawsky, who used his leverage to stiffen penalties against some of the world's largest financial institutions, will probably step down next year to take a job in the private sector, said a person familiar with the matter.

Connecticut and New York are the only states to have established institutions specifically called green banks to stimulate lending on clean energy projects, but others could soon join them following the election of green bank-friendly governors in nine states.

New York's top banking regulator Benjamin Lawsky, who used his leverage to stiffen penalties against some of the world's largest financial institutions, will probably step down next year to take a job in the private sector, said a person familiar with the matter.

Nacha CEO Janet Estep discusses how her organization polices bad actors on the automated clearing house network, why it doesn't single out specific merchant categories as risky, and how nudging the industry toward "push" payments will help.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has made some key changes to its compliance guide for the three major mortgage rules that took effect earlier this year.

Federal prosecutor Loretta Lynch may soon replace Attorney General Eric Holder, leaving bankers wondering whether she will be tougher on institutions than her predecessor.

The National Credit Union Administration claims a Deutsche Bank unit was negligent as a trustee overseeing mortgage-backed securities and played a role in the failure of five corporate credit unions.

Regulators are expecting financial institutions to provide detailed modeling of deposits and ever-greater documentation in the next round of stress tests, bankers and consultants say.

The Treasury Department and its anti-money laundering unit find themselves on the defensive as bankers say they're cutting ties with entire business sectors as a result of blunt enforcement efforts.

Fannie Mae executives are confident they can responsibly administer a new 3% down payment program to ensure it's an effective tool for increasing access to credit.

The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a case related to the use of disparate impact theory to charge organizations with discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. The case highlights a key problem with current interpretation of the statute: it ignores a basic statistical pattern that makes it hard to determine which practices would produce a better outcome for protected groups.

Well-managed banks have the opportunity to issue shares and strengthen their capital base before new requirements take effect and the markets adjust to a low-risk environment.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency closed Frontier Bank FSB in Palm Desert, Calif.

The Financial Stability Board's "total loss-absorbing capacity" proposal would require big banks to hold a minimum amount of capital and debt instruments to be used to shoulder the costs of a failure.

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WASHINGTON — Policymakers should consider changing rules that limit the amount of debt that holding companies can carry in order to exempt more community banks from the restrictions, a senior Federal Reserve Board official said Friday.

Regulators' patience is running thin for banks that continue to overindulge in leveraged loans despite repeated warnings from the agencies over the past two years.

The U.S. Postal Service's inspector general said Friday that it is seeking proposals from outside groups about possible postal banking services.

The state that forged a middle ground on payday lending serves as both a potential model and a warning sign for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Borrowers must have other factors such as housing counseling, stronger credit histories, or lower debt to income ratios to qualify for new low-down-payment loans, said FHFA Director Mel Watt.