Opinions

Republican lawmakers will head the banking committees in both chambers next year – raising the prospects for deals on key legislation – but getting to the negotiating table is still the biggest hurdle for the next Congress.

The Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are alleging that Toyota Motor Credit engaged in practices that resulted in discriminatory pricing of loans, according to a securities filing by the company.

The Federal Reserve was comfortable as a behind-the-scenes regulator, but it’s now expected to be a public enforcer as well. Asking the agency to balance these contradictory roles is a recipe for trouble.

Sheila Bair, a former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., has agreed to serve as a senior adviser to the law firm DLA Piper, focusing on its international practice, according to a memo obtained by American Banker.

Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker discusses why he distrusts a government-run system for unwinding banks, how community banks could thrive in the future, and why policymakers should consider better distinguishing between the biggest institutions and mid-size firms.

A final judgment against Bank of America in a mortgage-bond lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission was signed by a federal judge, helping clear the way for the lender to complete a $16.7 billion global settlement of claims it misled investors about risk.

Recent speeches by Benjamin Lawsky and other regulators suggest that government officials are gearing up to issue new cybersecurity rules. Banks' relationships with third-party vendors are one likely area of focus.

Banks could originate 300,000 more home loans per quarter and face only a slightly higher risk of default, according to a new report. But lenders are unlikely to loosen lending standards until they are sure that Fannie, Freddie and the FHA have eased up on buyback requests.

The CFPB's proposed requirements threaten to trap next-generation digital wallets and cryptocurrency innovations in a consumer protection regime narrowly tailored to the unique characteristics of reloadable prepaid cards.

Although regulators say the bank's resolution plan still has "specific shortcomings," Wells Fargo appears closer than other banks in fulfilling the Dodd-Frank requirement.