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Will lenders get a safe harbor against borrower lawsuits about underwriting in the "qualified mortgage" rule? Or will the CFPB opt for a "rebuttable presumption"? The agency's director says the differences between the two are "in some ways overstated." Either way he promises some bright lines to "minimize litigation risk."

The industry's movement toward plain-vanilla mortgage products since the crisis masks deficiencies in the underwriting process that remain to this day.

If TAG is senselessly allowed to expire, many depositors may sever their relationships with the smaller banks in their communities and opt to place their money under the "protection" of the Too Big to Fail institutions.

Central clearing for over-the-counter contracts will undoubtedly reduce risks, but the market still has multiple regulators and multiple sets of rules for different players and for different instruments.

The attorneys general for Oklahoma, South Carolina and Michigan have joined a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Dodd-Frank Act. They filed a complaint in U.S. District court about provisions in the legislation allowing the FDIC and Treasury to unwind troubled companies.

Personal motivations aside, many felt the hire made sense for the Financial Services Roundtable since it fortifies the trade group's relationship with Congress. What impact do you think Pawlenty is likely to have on banking policy?

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the incoming head of the Financial Services Roundtable and outgoing co-chair of the Romney campaign says the Dodd-Frank Act needs "refining." He also says banks should "stop doing stupid things."

China blocks U.S. banks from operating there. We should reciprocate. There's nothing to gain from giving keys to our banking system to entities owned and controlled by an adversary state.

What is good for the big banks is not necessarily good for the economy and the growth of jobs, writes the chairman of Signature Bank in New York.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau asked state attorneys general to sign a cooperation agreement to protect shared confidential information, but most Republican AGs are declining to sign.