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They could not have come into this life as quietly as they departed this year, could they?

Many small banks are well managed and provide value to their customers and investors. The more profound question for the economy is what effect the little guys have on the stability and efficiency of the U.S. financial system.

In her final column for American Banker, Editor-at-Large Barbara Rehm says there is no denying the system is safer than it was in 2007, and while further changes may be needed, it makes sense to "take a breather."

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a consumer advisory report on Wednesday which is provoking concerns that the agency may be inadvertently encouraging borrowers to challenge their lenders in court after new mortgage rules go into effect in the new year.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke said regulators have made progress over the last year, but more reforms need to be made in order to keep the financial system safe.

As more consumers pile into Bitcoin and the currency's market capitalization increases, any handful of trades will not have as strong an effect on the currency’s price swings.

Why banks should strive to bridge the gap between audit teams and business lines with better information sharing, high-powered data analytics and business risk assessments.

If compliance burden sends traders packing for Russia, Brazil or Mexico, the U.S. would lose not only investment capital but also the ability to monitor algorithmic trading for manipulative practices.

What we have seen from the bank regulatory agencies is an unsustainable proliferation of rules. Big banks are taking on water to keep up, while community banks are being swamped.

Regulatory officials have been optimistic that they would finish critical aspects of the Dodd-Frank Act by the yearend, but as the year comes to a close, banking agencies are likely to miss the target.