Law and regulation

After the stress tests, come the tears — and the gloating.

A collective of business trade groups on Wednesday warned of potential risks for end users of margin requirements mandated under the Dodd-Frank Act.

WASHINGTON — Top Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee are asking several watchdog agencies to provide more information about federal regulators' employment policies and practices with regard to minorities and women.

A Senate Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday focused on Target and other organizations could have done to prevent massive breaches and possible legislative steps can be taken to improve data security.

The Federal Reserve Board denied the capital plans of Citigroup, HSBC, RBS Citizens, Santander and Zions in its second round of stress tests this year.

MasterCard Inc. is planning its first bond sale on record with a $1.5 billion issue.

Senate Banking members examined concerns about alternative lending products such as payday loans on Wednesday, though consensus on what, if any, changes are needed to the industry remains elusive.

With more reliable loan data, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would have greater confidence that borrowers would not default. In return, lenders would receive a juicy carrot: fewer buyback requests.

WASHINGTON — Several officials from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are being called to testify before a House subcommittee next week on recent allegations that employees were being mistreated.

Payday lenders told the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday that they will accept new regulation so long as it does not "cripple" the industry and credit availability.

The U.S. government will treat Bitcoin as property for tax purposes, applying rules it uses to govern stocks and barter transactions, the Internal Revenue Service said in its first substantive ruling on the issue.

The top five U.S. financial institutions benefited from a funding advantage in key markets prior to the enactment of regulatory reform, according to a study released Tuesday by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The U.S. government will treat Bitcoin as property for tax purposes, applying rules it uses to govern stocks and barter transactions, the Internal Revenue Service said in its first substantive ruling on the issue.

The Federal Reserve's suggestion that bank assets rise in recessions, though supported by data, paints an incomplete picture. Stress ultimately causes bank assets to decline, but with a considerable time lag.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp is striking an optimistic tone for mortgage finance reform, saying she's hopeful that a Senate Banking Committee plan to overhaul the market could make it to the chamber floor for a vote this year.

Instead of tasking one team with developing new products, give everyone – from senior management to tellers – permission to innovate continuously. Tapping those with firsthand experience of what works and what doesn't on a day-to-day basis can spur big changes.

The agency released new research that suggests it’s likely to restrict the frequency with which consumers can take out payday loans.

Edward DeMarco will step down from the Federal Housing Finance Agency nearly five years after becoming its acting director.

Federal banking regulators issued a proposal that would establish standards for states that register and track appraisal management companies.

With more young adults making large student loan payments instead of saving up for a down payment, combined with car payments and possibly credit card debt, the 43% DTI becomes a very difficult barrier for lenders working within the QM standards.