Opinions

Comerica, Regions and KeyCorp executives say their companies will proceed with caution despite the green light from the Federal Reserve to buy back stock in case they have to cover a surge in loan growth as the economy recovers.

The American Bankers Association has requested more time to respond to a proposal that would expand lending authority for credit union service organizations.

Community banks with meager tech budgets need help identifying the right systems for institutions their size and finding good partners, says Sultan Meghji, who recently joined the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in this newly created role.

Michael Barr, an Obama-era Treasury Department official, is no longer expected to be nominated to lead a regulator that oversees Wall Street’s biggest banks, according to people familiar with the matter.

Ten companies this week joined the American Fintech Council, which debuted March 3 after the Marketplace Lending Association and Online Lending Policy Institute combined.

The comments by Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chair Jelena McWilliams published in Politico reinforce optimism that the banking agencies could settle years of disagreement about modernizing the Community Reinvestment Act.

The industry saw deposits rise by nearly 20% last year, in part due to economic stimulus measures from the government. More of the same could be coming once President Biden signs the latest stimulus bill into law.

Nonbanks had worried the end of the Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility would hurt their ability to lend to small businesses. On Monday, the Federal Reserve announced the facility would be extended for three months.

For too long, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's rulemaking process has been informed by its director's political affiliation. The next leader must keep the agency focused on its mission: protecting consumers.

Some applaud the agency's recent delay of the mandatory compliance date for a new Qualified Mortgage standard. Others say it leads to more uncertainty for lenders, opens the door to additional changes and enables some companies to loosen their underwriting.