Law and regulation

Elizabeth Warren is proposing to allow outstanding student loan borrowers to enjoy low rates by removing certain tax advantages for the wealthy.

Bill Ackman, who runs the $15 billion Pershing Square Capital Management LP, said that Fannie Mae (FMCC) and Freddie Mac will probably soar because there's no way to replace the mortgage guarantee companies.

Homeowners who dealt with a single person at their mortgage servicer were twice as likely to get a loan modification and half as likely to be denied one, according to a Fannie Mae study.

The Senate Banking Committee continued negotiations over the weekend on landmark legislation to overhaul the mortgage finance system, but it still remains unclear when, or if, panel leaders will reschedule a key vote on the bill.

Bankers are split on whether consumers' use of credit cards will stabilize over the next two years and if their level of card debt may eventually return to pre-financial crisis levels, according to a report released Monday by the Federal Reserve Board.

Banking is dominated by leaders who are straight, white and male, despite copious evidence that greater diversity at senior management levels improves companies' performance. American Banker editors discuss why diversity efforts are falling short at banks and regulatory agencies, and what executives can do to fix these problems.

Lawmakers are increasing pressure on the Federal Reserve Board to apply different capital rules to nonbank financial firms, like insurance companies, that are designated as a possible risk to the economy.

The fate of housing finance reform hangs in the balance after the Senate Banking Committee delayed a vote on a bipartisan bill sponsored by senators Tim Johnson and Mike Crapo. American Banker editors discuss what's behind the delay and the likely next steps.

It looks like average credit scores have fallen, but only if you examine GSE and FHA originations separately, the think tank's researchers say. When they are combined, the average holds steady.

There are enough studies quantifying the subsidies that too-big-to-fail banks receive. The focus should now be on the other benefits that keep big banks too large to manage, supervise or even jail.

The National Credit Union Administration is encouraging efforts by some credit unions to offer certain deposit advance products, while many bankers feel like their regulators are cracking down on such loans.

South Carolina-based CertusBank attracted a half billions dollars in commitments to buy failed banks in the wake of the financial crisis. How the early high hopes have been dashed offers important lessons to the industry, regulators and outside investors.

The Massachusetts senator reserved a few choice words for big banks while promoting her new memoir, "A Fighting Chance," to a supportive crowd at a Manhattan Barnes & Noble.

Confusion over regulatory jurisdiction and burdensome compliance costs are cutting into community banks' profits and forcing them to consolidate. But it doesn't have to be this way.

Financial pundits weigh in on questions raised and conclusions drawn from Bank of America's capital mistake, in tweets.

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet Yellen on Thursday emphasized the importance of tailoring new rules meant to curb risks by the largest banks to smaller-sized institutions.

New York state Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman proposed tighter rules on Wednesday to govern how banks and debt collectors sue consumers over unpaid bills. If adopted, the new proposals will require plaintiffs to provide more paperwork to support their claims.

WASHINGTON — Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray praised BMO Harris Bank on Wednesday for becoming the first indirect auto lender to switch to a flat-fee structure, limiting the amount of discretion that dealers have to price finance loans.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed several changes to its biggest mortgage rules on Wednesday which would effectively allow lenders to get more loans defined as "qualified mortgages."

WASHINGTON — Seven of the largest mortgage servicers say they have trimmed an average of $614 off monthly payments on over 16,000 loans as part of foreclosure prevention required by a regulatory settlement.