Law and regulation

M&T Bank (MTB) in Buffalo has hired a former member of Congress to help it strengthen its relationships with government officials.

More regional and community banks have selling noncumulative perpetual preferred stock to bolster Tier 1 capital and fund expansion.

If the FSOC fails to get the SEC to adopt new standards, it could look weak. If it succeeds, this mechanism will be used more often. Either way, the intervention is likely to sow division among regulators.

In 2012, identity fraud incidents increased by more than one million victims. Fraudsters stole more than $21 billion overall—the highest amount in three years, according to Javelin Strategy & Research.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has received its second warning for unclear and inefficient supervision from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

A small Texas bank has agreed to pay $700,000 to settle allegations that it discriminated against Hispanic borrowers by charging them higher prices on unsecured consumer loans.

Properly measured and appropriately set capital levels have a long way to go before becoming excessive.

Telephone Consumer Protection Act lawsuits soared in January to 153, up 82% from 84 in the year-ago period and up 24.4% from 123 a month earlier, according to WebRecon LLC, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company.

The architect of an operation that allegedly distributed illegal robocalls offering credit card interest rate reductions is banned from telemarketing under a settlement with regulators.

Karen Shaw Petrou, a top financial analyst, is calling for the U.S Trade Representative to work with the banking agencies to help establish an international framework for financial regulation. If not, she fears countries will adopt increasingly protectionist policies.

The Federal Reserve Board has lifted an enforcement action against Central Pacific Financial in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Rep. Maxine Waters has asked regulators for additional information regarding the work some consultants did as part of the troubled independent foreclosure review process.

Attendees at this year's American Bankers Association conference for community banks want to exude confidence but worries over proposed capital requirements still have them spooked.

Coinbase makes it simple to buy and sell bitcoins via a bank account, but plays only to the low-fee, frictionless nature of Bitcoin and fails to leverage its unique privacy aspects.

Payment technology is gaining momentum and changing rapidly. More and more places around the world are adopting unique methods of payment.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has closed the $58.4 million-asset Covenant Bank on Chicago's West Side.

In her first extensive interview since becoming the lead Democrat on the House banking panel, Rep. Maxine Waters says she has learned a lot from watching former Rep. Barney Frank's leadership and will strive to emulate his example.

Late-night comedian Stephen Colbert's show on Feb. 14 was almost entirely devoted to financial services issues, including an attack on Wells Fargo's decision to fire a call center employee and a cameo by Sheila Bair.

Bankers want to get a better understanding of how to run their businesses at a time of regulatory uncertainty.

The anonymous digital currency Bitcoin, which is already accepted on the Wordpress blogging site, has another mainstream partner. Reddit, the social news and entertainment site, now accepts bitcoins as payment for Reddit Gold, a subscription service.