Law and regulation

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.

Consumers who travel with debit or credit cards have no obligation to report their bank account balances or the size of their credit lines. Certainly those who rely on prepaid cards to access financial services should be entitled to the same rights.

The news that the CFPB's Deputy Director Raj Date will be leaving the agency has provoked anxiety in banking circles. Despite objections to the new agency, many have appreciated his expertise and deep understanding of the industry.

Bitcoin enthusiasts, playing off the holiday tradition of Black Friday sales, held their own Bitcoin Friday last week, leading to a spike in Bitcoin transactions at some — but not all — participating merchants.

Michael J. Covatto, former president of now-defunct Unicredit America Inc., must pay $522,780 in civil penalties and legal fees under a judgment against him in Erie County (Pa.) Court.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council voted unanimously Tuesday to suggest ways to reform the money market mutual fund industry in an effort to break through a logjam at the SEC.