Law and regulation

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is suing eight former officers and directors of Habersham Bank over their role in the failure of the Clarkesville, Ga., lender.

First Citizens Banc Corp (FCZA) in Sandusky, Ohio, has exited the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is allowing the public an extra month to weigh in on the agency's strategic plan for unwinding failed behemoths.

The Federal Reserve Board is set to alter its strategy for supervising foreign banks in the U.S., making it somewhat less onerous for smaller global institutions.

Before regulators go any further, they should open a public dialogue to make sure they don't do a lot more harm by eliminating the few lenders that remain.

The Community Home Lenders Association is concerned the high fees will be more of a drag on home purchase volume as interest rates rise.

U.S. households took on debt at a faster clip in the fourth quarter than at any time in seven years, but credit quality measures continued to improve, according to economic reports issued Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and other sources.

Large U.S. banks are facing several potential crises around the world, from emerging markets, within commodities and from China's slowed growth. Consultant Mayra Rodriguez Valladares questions whether changing regulatory standards have made the biggest banks sufficiently capitalized to withstand turmoil from these global problems.

Reforming the multifamily market will lead the way to a future housing finance system where private capital takes first-loss risk and uses ingenuity to responsibly serve all markets at all times.

Home Federal Savings Bank in Rochester, Minn., has been freed from a supervisory agreement with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Nonbank mortgage lenders want to significantly alter a time-tested formula with "membership-lite." Now is not the time to lessen the capital standards for Federal Home Loan Bank membership.

Attorneys involved in Bank of America's $32 million settlement of several class action lawsuits last fall are looking for people to file claims in the case.

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The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency plans to release Associated Banc-Corp (ASBC) in Green Bay, Wis., from a February 2012 consent order.

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

The new cybersecurity framework issued under a White House executive order lacks congressional mandate and tracks rules banks already follow, but some experts believe the new document could be a standard used in data breach litigation and future regulatory changes.

First Security Bank of Malta in Montana has been freed from a prompt corrective action issued by the Federal Reserve Board.

Federal authorities on Friday took their most forceful step to date toward bringing state-licensed marijuana businesses into the financial mainstream.

A group of House Democrats is urging regulators to provide a limited exemption for some debt securities issued by collateralized loan obligations under the Volcker Rule.

Citigroup said Vice Chairman Michael Helfer will retire next month and Zion Shohet will take on an expanded regulatory role.