Law and regulation

The Senate Banking Committee continues to discuss housing finance reform options even as efforts to confirm Congressman Mel Watt to run the Federal Housing Finance Agency stall.

The House passed the Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act that would reduce restrictions under section 716 of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act.

In a bipartisan letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, senators asked the agency to provide data used as basis for warning auto lenders they could be committing fair-lending violations.

When sophisticated, global institutions leave a country or line of business, they create a vacuum likely to be filled by outfits less sensitive to, or capable of managing, the risks involved.

Fannie Mae sued nine major banks over allegations their manipulation of the London interbank offered rate cost the mortgage financing company about $800 million.

Federal policymakers should make payday lenders structure their loans to be repaid over time, according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

WASHINGTON — Nearly two-dozen senators are seeking data the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau used as the basis for warning auto lenders they could be committing fair-lending violations.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau got a confirmed director for the first time this year, when the Senate finally approved the longstanding nomination of Richard Cordray for the post. But the agency has also sustained the departures of high-ranking employees to law firms, consulting shops, banks and other destinations. Here's a look at some of the CFPB employees who have left in 2013, and where they have landed.

Another big law like Dodd-Frank could be harmful to the mortgage market, but an incremental approach to housing finance reform might be the perfect solution.

Three federal home loan banks dropped their opposition to Bank of America's $8.5 billion settlement in a New York state court lawsuit over Countrywide residential mortgage backed securities.

WASHINGTON - State regulators in Florida closed the $25 million-asset Bank of Jackson County, located in Graceville, the 23rd institution to fail this year.

The House passed the Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act that would reduce the restrictions under section 716 of the reform law, which required banks to spin off risky swaps out of depository institutions to subsidiaries and affiliates. The measure passed the chamber by a bipartisan vote of 292-122, including 70 Democrats.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Wednesday officially signed off on a joint proposal with the Federal Reserve Board that would implement new liquidity risk standards for large banks.

JPMorgan Chase’s reported attempt to get the FDIC to pay part of its settlement with the government is yet another chapter in a long-running dispute over the 2008 resolution of Washington Mutual.

Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., faces an uphill confirmation battle this week to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency, but it's unlikely to be the end of that war.

WASHINGTON — Federal policymakers on Wednesday agreed to postpone unwinding their current bond buying program until amassing further evidence of a strengthened economic recovery.

As Washington continues to recover from the recent government shutdown and debt ceiling fight, the Senate Banking Committee is trying to reignite momentum on housing finance reform. The panel is holding two hearings this week while outside groups conduct roundtables on various proposals for government-sponsored enterprise reform. Following are the five largest questions that have to be resolved.

Community banks have a proportionate disadvantage to taxpayer-subsidized megabanks as the crushing burden of regulation meant to stop the abuses of Wall Street rain down excessively on Main Street.

Western Union Co., the world's biggest money-transfer business, tumbled as much as 13 percent after reporting a drop in third-quarter profit and plans to increase expenses tied to regulatory compliance.

A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in the House and Senate has forged a deal to delay flood insurance premium increases that went into effect earlier this month.