Law and regulation

The House passed several derivatives bills that would roll back or modify provisions of the Dodd-Frank reform law, despite opposition by the White House and Democrats.

Regulators are focusing attention on ensuring community banks have proper security systems in place in the wake of a string of cyberattacks on megabanks.

In response to questions from Sen. Elizabeth Warren, SEC Chairman Mary Jo White said the current policy of seeking settlements is in the best interests of consumers and companies.

The nation's seven largest banks have earned an extension to push out their swap activities as required by the Dodd-Frank reform law by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

A bipartisan bill to reform the mortgage finance system being crafted in the Senate has already drawn praise from a variety of stakeholders, but the effort is almost certain to meet strong resistance from House Republicans.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have launched "Money Smart for Older Adults" with tips on preventing identity theft and other common scams and how to prepare financially for life events.

Law professor Saule T. Omarova is suggesting regulators require pre-market approval for complex financial instruments like derivatives to curb systemic risk in global markets. How effective would such a program be?

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg signs memorandum of understanding with Canadian counterpart expressing the two agencies' "willingness to cooperate with each other" in resolutions of cross-border institutions.

Banks and insurers are expected to make the case at closed-door hearings being held later this week by the Federal Housing Finance Agency that forced-placed homeowner's policies should remain the purview of state regulators. The discussions are part of a broader debate over how to reform the force-placed insurance market. The controversy revolves around claims by consumer advocates, state regulators and others that banks and insurers have colluded to drive up the cost of such coverage, which is "force-placed" on often struggling homeowners who allow their standard hazard policies to lapse.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said Wednesday it would give the seven largest national banks more time to push out their swap activities as required by the Dodd-Frank Act.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has released a report in which it found widespread misuse of overdraft fees among banks. Agency acting director Richard Cordray warned of potential harm to consumers and indicated that action is likely. American Banker editors discuss what the CFPB found how it's likely to respond in a market worth $32 billion in revenues to the banking industry.

The Fed’s research raises more questions than it answers, among them: Is the researcher right when he says the great bankers he interviewed could run a bank successfully anywhere, anytime?

Companies that purchase delinquent accounts secured an estimated $230 million in default judgments against New Yorkers in 2011, according to a report from the New Economy Project, but failed to prove they owned the debt in a majority of cases.

Capital rules, long considered the backbone of a safe and sound banking system, are evolving to meet other policy goals, like forcing the largest banks to get smaller.

Banks are incessantly lobbying the CFTC to hold off on cross-border derivatives rules until other countries write their own regulations. But that could take longer than the next crisis.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will be more flexible with regulations on minority-owned banks in order to help them raise capital.

Many of bankers' concerns and fears about the FFIEC's proposed social media rules are unfounded, says Elizabeth Khalil, senior policy analyst at the FDIC.

Banks that still hold Tarp funds face the prospect of dividend rates rising to 9% from 5% at a time when many of those institutions are still struggling.

Urban Partnership Bank in Chicago has been designated a minority depositary institution by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

M&A consolidation, improved portfolio performance and legislation leveling the playing field provide incentive for midsize banks to relaunch card programs.