Law and regulation

Bankers are applauding the opening salvo of a Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. bid to address community bank troubles. But they're also already asking what comes next.

A new study concludes the agency's basic business model puts homeowners at an unacceptably high risk of default with negative consequences for communities. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Treasury Department said that 218 banks remain in the Trouble Asset Relief Program's Capital Purchase Program, and that it expects to sell its stakes in roughly 144 banks in 2013.

2012 brought plenty of news that bankers -- and sometimes their regulators — would be happy to forget. Here's a rundown of a year in tarnished reputations and fines.

Massive regulation provides a deep moat protecting large financial institutions against competition from community banks and innovators.

UBS AG must pay about $1.5 billio) to U.S., U.K. and Swiss regulators for trying to rig global interest rates, triple the penalties levied against Barclays Plc.

A year ago we asked BankThink's regular contributors to make bold predictions about 2012. Here's a look back at their forecasts and the actual outcomes.

Bankers are applauding the opening salvo of a Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. project to focus on community bank troubles, but are already looking ahead to the next phases.

White House officials have approached American Express Co. (AXP) Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Chenault about joining President Barack Obama's second-term administration, possibly as Treasury secretary.

White House officials have approached American Express Co. CEO Kenneth Chenault about joining President Barack Obama’s second-term administration, possibly as Treasury secretary, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Morgan Stanley's handling of Facebook Inc.'s (FB) initial public offering, a deal that cost investors billions of dollars, broke a decade-old pledge to block investment bankers from influencing analysts, according to Massachusetts regulators, who fined the bank $5 million.

Its purpose was to study what consumers know about dispute resolution clauses. This is particularly important because most checking accountholders are covered by these clauses and may not be aware of them.

Every banker is under scrutiny, but last year we pegged 10 executives as potential news makers for 2012. Some made big headlines; others seemed to get through the year without making much noise. Here is a recap.

A yearlong FDIC research project charts the impact of consolidation and other pressures on small banks, but suggests continued viability for the sector.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has realigned its Supervision Department into two groups: Supervision Policy and Supervision Examinations.

Although this initial phase of the program may seem beneficial as it seeks to keep European competitors honest, enforced convergence is a double-edged sword that raises worrisome issues for our country.

Hedge funds and private-equity firms are betting on delinquent home loans being sold by the FHA as the government agency accelerates debt sales to avert a bailout and stem foreclosures.

In its first-year progress report on community banks, the FDIC details how it is responding to specific complaints outlined by institutions at roundtables earlier this year.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson is pushing for a vote as early as this week on a bill that would allow the Federal Housing Administration to raise its mortgage insurance premiums to help the agency bolster is waning capital reserves.

To ensure compliance with applicable consumer financial laws, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a manual on how its examiners will review private student lenders. The Student Lending Examination Procedures will be used to examine both banks and non-banks that offer student loans.