Law and regulation

House Republicans issued a report Thursday that blames the failure of brokerage firm MF Global on former Sen. Jon Corzine's leadership of the firm, adding that a lack of coordination among regulators also played a role.

With construction activity, sales, and home prices still well below pre-crisis levels, a revival of U.S. housing sector "still faces significant challenges and the benefits remain quite uneven," Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said Thursday.

The lender said it has committed $500 million to refinance underwater borrowers and has fulfilled its obligation to provide relief in Florida and California.

Sheila Bair may advocate a lifelong commitment for examiners, but given existing rules, the fears of potential conflicts of interest should be more hypothetical than real.

The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday announced six new law enforcement actions, the first cases brought under the FTC’s updated Business Opportunity Rule, which requires business opportunity sellers to provide specific information to help consumers evaluate a business opportunity, and provides a simple, one-page disclosure form.

New guidance from the government may help banks and other financial institutions avoid running afoul of anti-bribery laws.

Central banks are operating under an additional mandate beyond that of setting monetary policy: to regulate the largest, systemically important institutions. Here are five principles for doing that job well.

The election is over. Dodd-Frank is here to stay. It's time for bankers and regulators to get on with compliance and implementation, writes Editor-at-Large Barbara Rehm. She'd like to see an appointment for the director of the Office of Financial Research, stronger bank boards and leeway for examiners to go with their guts.

WASHINGTON — Bank and credit union regulatory agencies issued additional guidance late Wednesday endorsing "prudent efforts" by financial institutions to aid customers affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Regulators pledged Wednesday to heed concerns of community banks and ensure that a final rule implementing Basel III capital and liquidity requirements does not harm smaller institutions.

Liberal blog Daily Kos has collected more than 63,000 signatures for an online petition asking Senate leadership to put Elizabeth Warren on the banking committee.

Cathleen Nash lays out Citizens Republic's reasons for selling itself to FirstMerit, and says she expects many more banks to face the same tough choice.

With financial institutions worried the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will hinder business innovation, the agency on Wednesday argued that one of its mandates is the exact opposite.

The New York Democrat, a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, has secured his role as vice chair of the Democratic conference and chair of the Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Center for another term.

Community bankers are fighting a battle along two fronts: working to get the Transaction Account Guarantee program extended, and looking for new sources of liquidity in case the program ends.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Wednesday announced an April 2014 closing date for its Jacksonville, Fla., office established during the financial crisis to handle elevated failures.

Chase Card Services eliminated the expiration for the cash back rewards that it offers on five credit cards it markets to members of the U.S. military.

The Clearing House Association launched an ambitious war-game scenario last week to determine whether the FDIC could successfully resolve the failure of a large banking company.

The Durbin Amendment has made debit card transactions more transparent, increased marketplace competitiveness and reduced prices. Now Congress needs to focus on credit cards.

With President Obama re-elected and Senate Democrats in the legislative driver's seat, the Dodd-Frank Act is here to stay.