Opinions

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency closed First National Bank of Crestview in Florida on Friday, marking this year's first bank failure.

The Federal Trade Commission announced its largest-ever payday lending settlement on Friday, as two companies agreed to pay $21 million and waive another $285 million in charges that were never collected from customers.

Industry officials insist the Federal Reserve's extension of a key compliance deadline was meant to aid the implementation process, but critics say it could lead to another effort on Capitol Hill to roll back key chunks of the controversial regulation.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve announced the formation of a federal advisory council to examine and advise the board on matters related to community and consumer affairs.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

U.S. travelers may soon be able to hop on flights to Havana, but it will take much more time for the banking industry to feel the full impact of the Obama administration's new rules on economic links with Cuba.

The former head of the bankrupt Mt. Gox Co. bitcoin exchange was originally believed by U.S. investigators to be the secret mastermind behind the Silk Road online drug marketplace, an agent who infiltrated the website told jurors at the trial of the man prosecutors now accuse of running it.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and from our social media platforms and sister publications.

Total overhaul of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is a long shot, but Congress can pass measures that set the housing agencies on a path to reform. Mandating deeper mortgage insurance coverage for loans sold to the housing agencies would be a good place to start.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Thursday that Charles Yi has been appointed as the agency's general counsel.