Law and regulation

The U.S. Supreme Court reinforced companies' power to funnel legal disputes into arbitration, ruling in favor of American Express Co. in an antitrust clash with retailers over the credit cards they must accept.

New York regulators announced a $250 million settlement Thursday with Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi-UFJ (BTMU) for violating United States sanctions against countries including Iran, Sudan and Myanmar.

The Corker-Warner bill would require private investors to take 10% of losses before federal mortgage guarantees kick in. More research is needed to determine whether that’s enough protection for taxpayers.

Banks will have to scrutinize their relationships with consultants, brace for the possibility of a wave of regulation of consulting practices and have backup plans in case a key advisor ever receives a punishment like the one New York state dealt Deloitte.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray defended the agency's new mortgage rules, data gathering activities and single-director leadership structure during a luncheon speech on Wednesday.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke said Wednesday that regulators are making steady progress on a number of critical rules under the Dodd-Frank Act, predicting that several final rules will be released in the coming months.

Regulators have published the latest catalog of places outside metropolitan areas where lending will earn banks credit toward their Community Reinvestment Act obligations.

Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan and four state attorneys general vowed to hold banks to the terms of the settlement while saying more institutions were likely to shortly join their ranks.

New nonbank companies entering the payments industry should be subject to the same regulatory oversight and transparency requirements as their financial institution peers, according to a report released by the American Bankers Association.

A prominent group of policymakers from across the political spectrum has unveiled a detailed proposal to reform the mortgage finance system that includes many common elements found in pending Senate legislation.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency has hired a force-placed insurance industry lobbyist to simultaneously advise the government on the same issues. Is the move is indicative of a federal housing regulatory regime that's been coopted by the regulated?

Regulators are looking more closely at the way banks choose and manage their vendors. One insider tip: clue the regulators in to new projects ahead of time.

During a House Financial Services subcommittee hearing, Republicans accused the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of overspending, saying too much money is spent on top officials' salaries, travel and planned office renovations.

Contradictory regulations, such as the CFPB's QM standards and HUD's new fair lending rules, inhibit banks’ ability to devote resources to their businesses.

Would the proposed trans-Atlantic trade agreement really be a prize, or would it more closely resemble a poisoned chalice for the U.S.?

In the S&L crisis, regulators manipulated capital to prop up ailing thrifts. Today, regulators embrace risk-based requirements assuming they can correctly predict the future.

The big five servicers technically passed the first test of their compliance with the $25 billion national mortgage settlement, but four of them failed to meet at least one requirement and the settlement's monitor received nearly 60,000 complaints.

Many Bitcoin startups face the expensive and daunting task of obtaining multiple state money transmitter licenses. But these businesses could drum up enough support to create a more streamlined and affordable licensing process.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is spending too much on top officials' salaries, travel and a planned office renovation, Republicans said during a House Financial Services subcommittee hearing on Tuesday.

Rep. Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, is asking for an investigation into claims that Bank of America purposefully delayed borrowers from entering the Home Affordable Modification Program.