Law and regulation

Wells Fargo has won a partial victory in its appeal of a closely watched, $203 million overdraft lawsuit, but both sides of the case are gearing up for another round of fighting over the bank's consumer practices.

The presidential election dominated Washington this year, but other issues also sparked controversy, including pending Basel III rules, Sheila Bair's book, and an FDIC attempt to redefine community banks. Following are the most read stories in Reg and Reform this past year, counting down from #10 to #1.

Fraud and data security trends can change by the minute, often making it difficult to pinpoint a specific development as a key event during the course of a year. Not so in 2012.

The $2.7 billion-asset parent of AnchorBank in Madison, Wis., said Wednesday it has prepaid $150 million in advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank System that were due in 2015.

The FDIC this year has filed more lawsuits against the officers and directors of failed banks than it did last year. That number is expected to grow again next year, and involve smaller institutions.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is finishing a redesign of its headquarters featuring an open floor plan — a sharp departure from the labyrinthine layout of the previous tenant, the OTS.

Banking was a tough business to thrive in over the past year. These ten executives stood out for savvy moves that enabled their companies to beat the odds.

A debt collector from Lonsdale, Minn. has been indicted for bank fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minneapolis.

Start the New Year right, with new ways to think about widening your bank's customer base, lowering your legal costs, mentoring your executives, maximizing tech investments and more.

Banking regulators' nonchalance about preparing for a crisis is puzzling.

LNB Bancorp in Lorain, Ohio, is inching its way toward exiting the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Political squabbles on Capitol Hill and the tight presidential race put key confirmations on the backburner in 2012, but confirmed regulatory leaders will speed up progress on many fronts next year.

It is time for the FHA and its supporters to put the interest of working-class families ahead of real estate agents and other interest groups who want to expand its abusive lending practices.

Uncharacteristically for a bank, BankPlus decided four years ago to compete with payday lenders. Now it successfully offers a small-dollar loan product, with significantly better terms.

Bachus, Hensarling seek a two-year wait period on implementation. At that rate, a rule first authorized in 2010 won't take effect until 2015.

The landscape has changed radically in the last two decades. In most states, the number of banks has fallen sharply. But some states have emerged as storehouses for the nation's lending giants.

It's been a rocky year for digital currencies. Facebook began phasing out its Facebook Credits while Bitcoin continues to suffer a bad reputation. However, there are some promising developments on the horizon, with experienced payments providers joining in the digital currency game.

Delanco Federal Savings Bank in New Jersey must fix asset-quality, risk management and other problems under a written agreement with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Third Federal Savings & Loan Association of Cleveland said regulators terminated its memorandum of understanding, which had mandated an outside assessment of its management of interest-rate risk.

The FHA in its current form could not handle an emergency backstop role but would have a much better chance if moved out of HUD and combined with Ginnie Mae and the remnants of Fannie and Freddie.