Law and regulation

Community banks are fighting a plan unveiled by the Federal Housing Finance Agency that would force many banks and thrifts to maintain at least 10% of their assets in the form of home loans or mortgage-backed securities.

Bankers criticize credit unions' tax-exempt status because they fear they are losing ground to member-owned financial cooperatives, writes the Credit Union National Association's Bill Hampel.

MetLife, which has 30 days to request a hearing to contest its designation, said it "strongly disagrees" with the decision of the Financial Stability Oversight Council.

Even with tweaks making the final "heightened expectations" guidelines easier for the largest institutions, it represents a significant shift in the power given to examiners when overseeing institutions, experts said.

The regional Federal Reserve banks are trying to maintain momentum in their efforts to improve the U.S. payment system.

One reason so many federal thrifts have switched to other charters is that the Qualified Thrift Lender test impedes their commercial lending. However, a top regulator says he wants it eliminated.

The new liquidity coverage ratio requirements will compel the country's largest banks to take data integrity and timely, accurate reporting more seriously, writes Mayra Rodríguez Valladares.

Edward J. DeMarco, who worked to shrink Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC) as their U.S. overseer after the 2008 financial crisis, started a new job this week: senior fellow at the Milken Institute's Center for Financial Markets.

Updated rules to govern banking after the financial crisis are creating complexity and encouraging lenders to contemplate bailouts, according to Sheila Bair, former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

On a day when the banking agencies finalized the new liquidity measure for large institutions, they also issued rules dealing with swaps margin requirements and how institutions calculate their overall leverage exposure.

The Federal Reserve Board’s Beige Book said that lenders are cautious on residential lending but "fiercely competitive" over commercial lending.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a warning to credit card companies that use deceptive marketing to mask hidden charges within promotional interest rates.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a warning Wednesday to credit card companies that use deceptive marketing to mask hidden charges within promotional interest rates.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a warning Wednesday to credit card companies that use deceptive marketing to mask hidden charges within promotional interest rates.

Each quarter banks report their worst-case estimates of costs tied to lawsuits and regulatory probes. Some banks reported lower figures in recent quarters, but others are braced to spend more to resolve legacy issues. New legal threats loom, too.

WASHINGTON — Regulators were set Wednesday to consider a final liquidity rule for large banks that makes a number of concessions to the industry.

Ex-Im is one of the rare government agencies that's running smoothly, according to Tod Burwell: it returns a profit to taxpayers and makes American businesses more competitive. So why are some legislators gunning for its closure?

Although unintentional, missteps in communications by regulators can create headwinds for companies developing payments innovation.

The Senate Banking Committee is slated to hold a hearing on the Dodd-Frank Act next week with a number of top financial regulators.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency issued a proposal Tuesday designed to exclude captive insurers from the Home Loan Bank system.