Law and regulation

WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. told banks Thursday to be wary of liability insurance policies that could still force directors and officers to have to pay civil damages.

Proposals for a supplemental leverage ratio would treat cash, and the safest cash-like assets, like any risky asset. This may discourage banks from keeping their current high levels of liquidity.

The Shared National Credits report cited alarm about syndicated loans made to borrowers with higher leverage than normal, with 42% of such credits "criticized" by regulators.

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and financial industry officials warned lawmakers on Thursday about the multitude of economic consequences that a default on government debt could bring, just days before the country reaches its borrowing limit.

Ten large U.S. and European banks are using software from Digital Reasoning to uncover employees' corrupt activities.

Barclays Plc failed to pay $488 million in fines and disgorgement demanded by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for rigging California electricity prices, the agency said in a court petition seeking to enforce the July order.

Julie Stackhouse at the St. Louis Fed admits that some regulators who once questioned the role of smaller institutions are now committed to hearing their concerns and making improvements.

With the CFTC on hiatus during the government shutdown, the industry should take the opportunity to consider the potential damage for a market that has become integral to banking.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has decided to pull its enforcement attorneys from exams with financial companies after banks declared their opposition of their presence.

The Chinese market has long been tough for foreign companies to break into, but over the past five years the cultural and political environment has changed in a way that presents some fresh possibilities.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has agreed to pull its enforcement attorneys out of exams with financial companies after relentless opposition from bankers to their presence.

Regulation-by-numbers under Dodd-Frank is taking the art out of community banking and narrowing the borrowing window for lenders and needy borrowers alike. That was one of the key take-aways from the Federal Reserve's first ever conference on community bank research.

Janet Yellen shouldn't have needed anyone's help to be nominated to lead the Fed. Her tortuous path underscores the importance of rallying around qualified women candidates for industry leadership positions.

Almost everyone has an opinion about how to reform Fannie and Freddie, but some housing experts say the status quo isn't so bad.

Janet Yellen is expected to take a more hands-on role in bank regulation than her predecessors if she is confirmed to be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.

Banks had to devote more money to compliance in the third quarter after regulators increased the rate of new enforcement actions.

California regulators are warning banks and credit unions chartered by the Golden State to refrain from processing transactions for 16 online consumer lenders.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau penalized two nonbank mortgage lenders on Wednesday for incorrectly reporting data to regulators in a move certain to draw significant attention from the rest of the industry.

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Wednesday urged banks and other financial institutions to consider loan modification plans for borrowers affected by the government shutdown, which is now in its second week.

Reports that the ceiling on government-backed mortgages may fall at the start of 2014 have much of the housing industry up in arms.