Washington

WASHINGTON — From her first job at a small credit union to her current job in Congress, Barbara Lee has been working to help credit unions in one form or another.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court could have a say in how regulators issue guidance on interpretive rules that are not subject to notice and comment, which could have ramifications for NCUA and the credit union community.

AmericanWest Bank in Spokane, Wash., has agreed to buy the $468 million-asset Bank of Sacramento in California for $60 million in cash.

Complete Financial Solutions in Spokane, Wash., has agreed to buy Northern Star Financial in Mankato, Minn.

WASHINGTON — Jim Nussle learned about credit unions the hard way, and it's a story the new president and CEO of CUNA tells regularly about the importance of CU advocacy.

There's a growing push to revisit how banks are determined to be "systemically important" under the Dodd-Frank Act, but questions about how to resolve the problem still loom large.

BEO Bancorp in Heppner, Ore., has agreed to buy Bank Reale, in Pasco, Wash. A purchase price for the cash-and-stock deal was not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter.

The $3.2 billion-asset HomeStreet will pay $128 million in stock for the $870 million-asset Simplicity, the companies said in a press release Monday.

WASHINGTON — The merger agreement between the Federal Home Loan Banks of Seattle and Des Moines contains a little-noticed provision that would force one of them to pay a $57 million penalty if it break off talks.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has agreed to ramp up its security policies on data collection in response to a recent Government Accountability Office report that raised nearly a dozen recommendations on the topic.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently appointed eight new members to its Credit Union Advisory Council.

WASHINGTON — New NCUA Board Member Mark McWatters believes a second comment period is needed on the regulator's proposed risk-based capital rule and will not vote for any RBC proposal that does not include one.

REDMOND, Wash. — With the EMV card conversion deadline next October, opportunities exist for credit unions to benefit from the process. This is the case here for Qualstar Credit Union, as well as others.

LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Harborstone Credit Union knew it had a lending problem.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau remains committed to working with the financial services industry to improve the mortgage closing experience for consumers through the use of technology, CFPB director Richard Cordray said.

BEAVERTON, Ore. — From coast to coast, credit union and state league executives hailed the selection of Jim Nussle as the new leader of CUNA — with two people independently using the word "excellent" to describe the hire.

National Credit Union Administration board member Rick Metsger said a Federal Housing Finance Agency proposal to restrict Federal Home Loan Bank membership could give banks an unfair advantage over some smaller credit unions.

WASHINGTON — NCUA Board Member Rick Metsger said Wednesday he favors doubling the implementation period, which would create a de-facto second comment period on the agency's controversial risk-based capital rule.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Credit Union National Association announced Tuesday it has picked Jim Nussle, a former eight-term congressman and director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, as the trade group's new president and CEO.

WASHINGTON — The Financial Stability Oversight Council moved a step closer Thursday to identifying MetLife as the fourth nonbank firm viewed by regulators as a systemic threat.