Law and regulation

The sales pitch behind many mobile payment systems is convenience, but some companies are learning that when a payment system becomes too convenient, the backlash can last for years.

The Senate confirmed White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew to be the next Tresaury Secretary by a vote of 71-26 on Wednesday night.

Former White House Chief of Staff Jacob J. Lew won Senate confirmation to become U.S. Treasury secretary, a job that will immediately thrust him into fights with Congress over the country's debt limit, spending cuts and a threatened government shutdown.

Housing counselors grilled mortgage settlement monitor Joseph A. Smith on why banks are not disclosing data that would show whether communities hit hardest by the foreclosures crisis are getting the bulk of the relief.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke accepted responsibility on behalf of regulators Wednesday for a troubled independent foreclosure review process that has delayed payments to borrowers for nearly two years.

Rep. Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House banking panel, signaled her support for two key credit union bills to expand business lending and access supplemental capital.

Large banks have been relatively inactive in the market for targets with less than $2 billion of assets, once a staple.

Nearly a year after legislation let more banks stop filing with the SEC, management teams continue to evaluate lower costs against having to move to lesser-known stock exchanges.

The fact that the bulk of the relief from the national mortgage servicing settlement is going to short sales is a huge victory for the economy, consumer advocates' howls notwithstanding.

Smaller financial institutions should lend outside of a new ultra-safe class of mortgages created by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to Richard Cordray, the agency's director.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren defended the CFPB during a speech on Wednesday, imploring credit unions to lend their support for the agency's director Richard Cordray ahead of a contentious confirmation battle.

Directors can stay ahead of the curve by visiting the "factory floor," aligning compensation with compliance and requiring explanations when business management fails to self-identify issues.

American Banker has won three Society of American Business Editors and Writers 2012 Best in Business awards, in the categories of Commentary, Investigative and Explanatory journalism.

Jack Lew won the Senate Finance Committee's approval to become U.S. Treasury secretary just as lawmakers struggle to avoid across-the-board government spending cuts scheduled to take effect on March 1.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke was called upon on Tuesday to come to the defense of the Dodd-Frank Act as a growing group of bipartisan lawmakers continue to insist that the financial reform law did not eliminate "too big to fail."

Comptroller of the Currency Thomas Curry attempted to dispute the notion that large banks are "too big to jail," telling a group of state attorneys general that his agency can take legal action and level "severe penalties" against an institution.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s Quarterly Banking Profile described an industry gaining health, but it still faces several key challenges to maintaining growth.

Rep. Jeb Hensarling, the new chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, continued his criticism of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act on Tuesday.

Small banks are concerned about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's enforcement potential over fair lending laws.

"Community bankers are growing increasingly concerned that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will eliminate one of their bread-and-butter products: balloon loans," writes American Banker's Kate Berry.