Law and regulation

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.

The housing sector is increasingly a drag on consumption and job creation. The fault lies not with the market but with ill-considered regulations and bank capital rules.

The settlement of the Visa and MasterCard class action interchange swipe fee case has spawned a new type of company—the third-party claims filing company.

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It is still unresolved how regulators will apply capital requirements to insurance companies under the Dodd-Frank regime for systemic firms, but members of Congress are urging the Federal Reserve Board to be flexible.

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

A former employee of TD Bank and her accomplice have pleaded guilty to committing identity theft and stealing government funds.

Fast-tracking foreclosures on vacant properties in states that handle foreclosures through the courts "could result in substantial cost savings" for all involved, according to a study by Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.