Opinions

Sen. Richard Shelby is expected to become chairman of the Senate Banking Committee next year after Republicans seized enough seats to take control of the chamber. But the Alabama Republican will face a time-crunch to get his agenda through.

A U.S. District Court decision this week that blocked the use of a controversial legal theory in a fair housing case on discrimination has ignited industry hopes that the Supreme Court will take a similar stance on a separate, larger case pending before the high court.

Bankers are worried that a new proposal will allow Farm Credit institutions to invest in non-farming businesses. The Farm Credit Administration denies those claims, stating that the proposal is designed to comply with the Dodd-Frank Act.

Banks are hiring armies of lawyers, accountants, compliance consultants and IT vendors as they prepare to comply with the Volcker Rule. Ironically, their attempts to fortify themselves with outsourced knowledge could expose them to more operational risk.

Until U.S. authorities can prove they have a better idea about how to provide short-term, small-dollar loans and other alternative financial services to people in need, they should stop trying to drive from business the lawful companies working to serve this market.

WASHINGTON — MetLife has made clear its objection to regulators designating the firm as a "systemically important financial institution," but on Monday the life insurer had the opportunity to air its concerns directly.

Industry veteran David Applegate will serve as CEO of Common Securitization Solutions LLC, the new firm co-owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop a common securitization platform for the mortgage secondary market.

The Fair Housing Act bars only intentional discrimination, not all practices that have a disparate impact on racial minorities, a federal judge ruled in a victory for the financial services industry.

WASHINGTON — Banks have seen a mild uptick in retail small business lending applications in the past quarter, though most other demand indicators remain flat, according to a Federal Reserve Board report released Monday.

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators released a document summarizing their general findings from recent cybersecurity assessments at community-size financial institutions.