Law and regulation

Chad Fuller and Victoria Holstein-Childress have joined the Atlanta law firm to help defend banks against lawsuits and government probes.

Two senior House Democrats introduced legislation Thursday designed to give regulators additional authority to go after bank executives at institutions involved in money laundering scandals.

A paper released by the Bipartisan Policy Center suggests that the so-called "push-out" rule for banks' swap business may be unnecessary if regulators effectively implement Dodd-Frank's ban on proprietary trading.

Bloomberg estimates big banks receive an $83 billion taxpayer ‘subsidy’ a year. But calculating bank funding levels at normal, as opposed to crisis times, and accounting for Dodd-Frank compliance costs yields a very different estimate.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has agreed to cooperate with China's central bank to address potential cross-border issues in resolving failing institutions.

Issuers of store-branded credit cards are facing new regulatory scrutiny over big retroactive interest charges that can hit borrowers at the end of a promotional period.

The European Parliament demanded a halt to bank-data transfers to U.S. counter-terrorism investigators because of possible violations of privacy, the latest international outcry over alleged American spying.

Politically connected firms might simply be more willing to participate in government-sponsored programs. Or, perhaps more disturbingly, banks might view their political connections as an insurance policy, which may encourage more reckless or risky behavior.

WASHINGTON — Financial regulators are seeking to establish new standards to gauge the racial and gender diversity policies at companies including everything from employees, customers and suppliers.

Jeff Plagge, the president and chief executive of Northwest Financial in Arnolds Park, Iowa, and the new chairman of the American Bankers Association believes regulation remains a large industry challenge.

Some of the largest U.S. banks said a proposed rule to increase the capital they hold against potential losses is arbitrary and would put them at a disadvantage against non-U.S. banks facing easier requirements.

New York State has slapped Prospect Mortgage with a $3 million fine for misleading homeowners on their interest rates, and has cited the mortgage lender for several other violations of state law.

JPMorgan Chase's acquisitions of Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual during the meltdown were once seen as bargains and more recently second-guessed in light of the bank's $13 billion mortgage settlement. The pain will pay off in the long run, experts say.

As banks improve their fundamentals, they are paying less in risk-based Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. premiums, helping to boost their bottom lines.

Bank of America Corp.'s Countrywide unit fraudulent sold thousands of loans known to be defective to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaimie Nawaday in closing arguments in a lawsuit against the lender.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is urging regulators to disclose the extent of their efforts to pursue cases against individuals and institutions, highlighting the work of the Special Inspector General of the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Comptroller Thomas Curry’s 'heightened expectations' for large banks should include whether our communities are substantially better off as a result of their presence.

Diebold, a maker of ATMs and bank security systems, agreed to pay more than $48 million to settle allegations by the U.S. that it bribed officials in Russia, China and Indonesia.

A Treasury Department fund meant to boost loans to small businesses has spurred more than $10 billion in additional lending, the agency said Tuesday.

Diebold Inc., a maker of ATMs and bank security systems, agreed to pay more than $48 million to settle allegations by the U.S. that it bribed officials in Russia, China and Indonesia.