Law and regulation

The FTC on Monday announced a proposed settlement to resolve allegations that a payment processor and its owners used unfair tactics to open and maintain scores of merchant accounts for Infusion Media Inc., which perpetrated the “Google Money Tree” work-at-home scheme.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued cease-and-desist orders against three banks in October and released seven banks from enforcement actions.

The Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission are telling a U.S. Senate committee that Bitcoins are legitimate financial instruments, boosting prospects for wider acceptance of the virtual currency.

The former chairman and chief executive of the failed Summit Bank in Burlington, Wash., has been sentenced to three years in prison for concealing millions of dollars in past-due loans.

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the state attorney general's right to issue subpoenas and investigative questionnaires in a case involving four collection agencies - Cavalry SPV I, Cavalry SPV II, Cavalry Investments and Cavalry Portfolio Services.

A detailed look at how the freshman senator from Massachusetts has used her first 10 months in office, including her own insights from an interview with American Banker.

Since taking her Senate seat more than 10 months ago, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has continued her intense criticism of big banks. But she has also focused on other areas in the financial services realm, covering everything from housing finance reform to student loan debt. Following is a guide to the Massachusetts Democrat's biggest banking issues.

WASHINGTON — Regulators on Friday announced they had finalized guidelines proposed in March that attempt to encourage banks' community development activities beyond their immediate markets.

Republic Mortgage Insurance Corp. has agreed to pay a $100,000 penalty and stop providing allegedly illegal kickbacks to mortgage lenders as part of a proposed settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve Board on Friday approved Ally Financial Inc.'s revised capital plan after objecting to it earlier this year.

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

When faced with the need to conduct an internal investigations, bankers will do themselves a favor by pursuing them with the vigor. Otherwise, neither company directors or outside regulators are likely to buy the line that a bank is serious about addressing its flaws, says Neil Barofsky, an attorney who previously served as a prosecutor and inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

In a report released Thursday, the Government Accountability Office urged the Federal Reserve Board and other regulators to finalize key provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act that are designed to decrease government support to big banks and improve bank oversight going forward.

The central bank is making clear it has doubts about the private sector's ability to implement a faster electronic payments system on its own.

Bill Ackman's hedge fund-firm took stakes in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-backed mortgage insurers that investor Bruce Berkowitz is seeking to restructure, and said it may seek talks with management, shareholders and the government.

Moody's downgraded the ratings of Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of New York Mellon by one notch on Thursday.

The central bank is making clear it has doubts about the private sector's ability to implement a faster electronic payments system on its own.

Despite a banner year for bank reform, prospective Fed chairman Janet Yellen would have to ensure Basel’s implementation, strengthen Dodd-Frank's living will requirements and form closer ties with regulators to ensure safety and soundness of our banking system.

Moody's downgraded the ratings of Morgan Stanley (MS), Goldman Sachs (GS), JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Bank of New York Mellon (BK) Thursday.

The House Financial Services Committee passed several bills on Thursday, including regulatory relief legislation for community banks and credit unions.