Law and regulation

Mark Zandi, the chief economist for Moody's Analytics, has emerged as a contender to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency as the White House searches for a replacement for Acting Direct Ed DeMarco, according to news reports.

Expect the rate of terminated enforcement actions to increase in coming months as more banks get a handle on their problems, industry observers say.

The Treasury Department plans to auction its holdings in eight more banks as it continues to unwind Troubled Asset Relief Program holdings.

Nearly a third of mutual thrifts recently told the American Bankers Association that their regulator lacked a good understanding of their business.

The requirement is a symptom of a larger problem: Inherently local knowledge is needed for most of the regulations tasked to regulators in Washington.

Policymakers came back from the Easter recess loaded for bear, as President Obama released his budget and Senate Democrats dug into the independent foreclosure reviews. Here are the six stories in regulation and reform that you shouldn't have missed last week.

The $1.4 billion-asset unit of First Mariner Bancorp (FMAR) said Monday that the FDIC had terminated an April 2009 cease-and-desist order requiring the bank to comply with fair-lending practices.

Iberiabank in Lafayette, La., will record a $32 million charge for the first quarter because of delays in the repayment of loans it bought from failed banks.

The Federal Reserve Board on Monday issued a proposal that would impose a fee on the biggest bank holding companies to cover expenses related to its supervisory duties.

American Express has promoted Edward P. Gilligan to the role of president, the company announced April 15.

Private mortgage insurance should be identified as a viable option for credit enhancement as regulators contemplate post-GSE-reform models and Basel III revisions.

Sen. Barbara Boxer asked officials Friday to look into evidence that the big banks are violating the $26 billion national mortgage settlement.

Evertec Inc., a significant acquirer processor and card issuer in Latin America and the Caribbean region for 25 years, is casting part of its business as that market's Square Inc. and looking to supercharge its payments business after its April 12 initial public offering.

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Special FDIC protection for losses suffered by failed-bank buyers still exists, but a better real estate market and bidders' increased confidence in their asset management skills are making it rarer.

Shareholders for M&T and Hudson City will meet next week to vote on the banks' merger, though a Fed review of M&T's anti-money-laundering compliance could throw a wrench in the works.

The 25th Card Forum & Expo brought hundreds of payments professionals together in Boca Raton, Fla. to share strategies and ideas. Here's a recap of some of the most talked about subjects from the event.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau "has been a good communicator" with the banking industry and "has done some positive things" but also has "a big job to do," says Bank of the West's Andy Harmening, a senior executive vice president and regional banking group head. Harmening discusses the advantages and pitfalls of dealing with the new regulatory agency at American Banker's annual Best Practices in Retail Banking Symposium.

Rep. Maxine Waters moderated a wide-ranging debate on the housing finance system Friday.

Numerous components of Basel III could empower bank regulators to increase the amount of capital banks hold, especially for large banks.