Law and regulation

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.

Yellen rethinks having the Fed vote on enforcement actions, after Warren presses.

As credit union leaders visit D.C., banks unleash a big campaign opposing their federal tax exemption.

There's drama to come as regulators finalize a proposal requiring banks to self-assess their track records on diversity.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a report Friday to employees detailing its diversity statistics and the racial disparities in performance evaluations reported two weeks ago by American Banker.

The Federal Reserve Board revised its findings to the closely watched Dodd-Frank Act stress tests on Friday, citing inconsistencies in the treatment of some figures during its calculations.

Housing and lending groups are urging the government sponsored enterprise regulator and conservator to keep the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan limits where they are for now.

A recap of the informed opinions (and they discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

Retailers face an uphill battle after an appeals court panel rules that banks shouldn't have to sacrifice another big chunk of their debit interchange revenue.

Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN), Switzerland's second-biggest bank, agreed to pay $885 million to settle lawsuits by the Federal Housing Finance Agency over mortgages sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

American Express Co. paid Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Chenault $24.4 million for 2013, an 11 percent increase over the previous year.

A coalition of advocacy groups announced their opposition Friday to a bill by Senate Banking Committee leaders to overhaul the housing finance system, citing concerns about market access for low-income and minority families.

A federal appeals court ruled Friday that the Federal Reserve acted appropriately in setting restrictions on debit card swipe fees, marking a critical victory for banks and a major setback for retailers. American Banker editors discuss what the ruling is likely to mean for the debit card industry and whether it represents the end of the high-stake battle.

A federal appeals court panel ruled today that the existing restrictions on debit card swipe fees should largely stand, turning back a challenge by retailers who argued that banks are still earning too much money from the fees.

A federal appeals court panel ruled Friday that the existing restrictions on debit card swipe fees should largely stand, turning back a challenge by retailers who argued that banks are still earning too much money from the fees.