FDIC

“We have actually discouraged banks from innovating,” FDIC Chairman Jelena McWilliams said in announcing a move that other agencies have made.

The agency’s biennial survey showed gradual improvement in access to mainstream banks, but over 14 million adults lack ties to a federally insured institution.

Bankers say the agencies’ proposed rewrite of the trading ban would do more harm than good, while the Volcker Rule’s most ardent supporters worry the overhaul will enable risky behavior by the largest institutions.

Many bankers say the agency needs to rethink its definition of brokered deposits and how it sets interest rate caps.

Federal regulators have issued answers to frequently asked questions on appraisal regulations.

BankMobile will remain part of Customers for at least two years after regulatory snags derailed a plan to transfer the unit to a Florida bank.

Several female executives accepted leadership roles throughout the industry and in regulatory roles during the past month.

The Federal Reserve System is trying to be proactive in these and other high-profile areas, offering educational materials and coaching to bank execs and directors, according to supervision officials at the St. Louis and Richmond Fed banks.

Fintechs can get what they need from a traditional bank charter with the FDIC, as long as the agency is willing to play ball and step up its approach to innovation.

The heavy workload is not limited to implementing the financial regulatory reform bill enacted last spring, as the agencies also work to craft reforms of the Community Reinvestment Act and adjust key capital measures for the biggest banks.