Opinions

The Federal Reserve Board is seeking public comment on a proposal that would exempt banks with less than $1 billion in total assets from certain debt limits, a move favored by community banks.

The ability of Somali-Americans to send cash home to their relatives is again in peril after a California bank decided to stop facilitating the money transfers, according to a foreign aid organization that has been monitoring the situation.

No matter how the European payments landscape looks after the European Commission's new version of the Payment Services Directive takes effect, merchants can almost certainly expect lower rates for accepting card transactions.

Federal Reserve officials suggested that anonymous payments and the technologies powering digital currencies could inform broader plans for reshaping the U.S. payment system.

In yet another revision of its mortgage rules, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed making it easier for small and rural lenders to make "qualified mortgages." Industry representatives said the changes are poised to make a big difference.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to review loan modifications offered by private student lenders, a business that the agency has said victimized some borrowers with subprime-style debt.

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department has exceeded its authority by keeping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in conservatorship so long and taking all their profits, two legislative experts said Thursday.

Federal regulators announced guidance Thursday that provides principles institutions should consider in setting policies and procedures for originating private student loans with graduated repayment terms.

Banks have made progress cutting their exposure to risky home equity lines of credit, ahead of a key 10-year threshold when billions of dollars of them will reset to higher monthly payments. But there are some prominent exceptions, especially among regional banks.

New York Community Bancorp wants Washington to raise the asset size for systemically important financial institutions, but in the meanwhile its asset sales to stay under the threshold helped to boost profits and its CEO is pursuing possible M&A deals.