Law and regulation

Central banks' highly accommodative monetary policies in recent years have heightened the possibility that a geopolitical crisis in the Ukraine and elsewhere could eventually pose a systemic threat, according to a new paper by Federal Financial Analytics.

Regulators should demand more derivatives disclosures in forthcoming living wills. Having banks disclose the risk factors in their risk measurement models would help regulators understand if banks are well capitalized for unexpected losses.

The Senate confirmed Sarah Bloom Raskin as deputy secretary of the Treasury Department on Wednesday.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has lifted a regulatory enforcement action against First Security Group (FSGI) unit FSGBank.

In 30 states and the District of Columbia, attorneys general are urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to adopt new debt collection rules that will "better protect consumers and military service members."

The U.S. Senate's Democratic Banking Committee Chairman, Tim Johnson, and top Republican, Mike Crapo, laid out a preliminary agreement Tuesday that adds to momentum to a bipartisan effort to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. American Banker editors discuss what behind the push's rare appeal on both sides of the aisle and the challenges its backers face in coming weeks.

Sens. Tim Johnson, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, and Mike Crapo, the top Republican, received an overall warm welcome to their agreement on housing finance reform released Tuesday, after months of negotiation.

Digital currency exchanges may soon file formal proposals and applications to operate under regulations set by the New York State Department of Financial Services.

Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania (RBPAA) in Narbeth has agreed to sell nearly $14 million in stock through private placements.

The Federal Reserve Board has the authority to act on its own to apply different capital requirements for insurance companies than those it has already mandated for banks, several senators said Tuesday.

Retail bankers are struggling with a vexing mix of competitive and regulatory headwinds these days. As they prepare to gather at American Banker's Retail Banking 2014 conference, the publication's editors discuss what are likely to be the hottest topics of the day.

Banks of all sizes are struggling to increase the revenues and profits that they can eke out of their retail operations — while trying to elbow their competitors out of the same turf. To do so, bankers need to face some hard truths about their branches, technology and M&A ambitions.

Sens. Tim Johnson, chairman of the Banking Committee, and Mike Crapo, the top Republican, laid out a preliminary bipartisan agreement on housing finance reform after months of deliberation.

Insurance companies will urge U.S. lawmakers today to stop the Federal Reserve from imposing bank-like capital standards on their industry.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is planning to eliminate its current employee performance management system after data showed minorities were rated lower than white employees.

In his annual shareholder address, the longtime CEO explained how M&T is working to fix its BSA compliance issues, took a swipe at megabanks and sang the praises of the bank's hometown.

Keith Pedigo, who led efforts to modernize the Department of Veterans Affairs home loan guarantee program, has joined Collingwood Group, founded by a former FHA Commissioner.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has joined other regulators in seeking to simplify megabanks' myriad legal entities. But instead of being focused on helping a bank to unwind in a failure, the OCC argues simplification can greatly help operational efficiency.

The discovery of racial disparities at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau gives real cause for concern, but it also presents an opportunity for the whole financial services sector to have a broad, healthy dialogue about diversity.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could return $179.2 billion in profits to taxpayers over the next 10 years if they continue operating under federal conservatorship, according to White House budget analysts.