Opinions

Recovering home prices have helped shrink underwater home equity loans, but such uncollateralized assets are still large when measured against Tier 1 common equity at the Big Four banks.

Consumers are still at risk from small-dollar loans with high fees or that roll-over debt, an advisory council warned the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday.

A regulatory plan that changes how banks must account for holdings on their books is stirring anxiety in the financial services industry that it may force banks to make a premature decision about what they intend to do with an asset.

M&T Bank (MTB) in Buffalo has hired a former member of Congress to help it strengthen its relationships with government officials.

More regional and community banks have selling noncumulative perpetual preferred stock to bolster Tier 1 capital and fund expansion.

If the FSOC fails to get the SEC to adopt new standards, it could look weak. If it succeeds, this mechanism will be used more often. Either way, the intervention is likely to sow division among regulators.

In 2012, identity fraud incidents increased by more than one million victims. Fraudsters stole more than $21 billion overall—the highest amount in three years, according to Javelin Strategy & Research.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has received its second warning for unclear and inefficient supervision from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

A small Texas bank has agreed to pay $700,000 to settle allegations that it discriminated against Hispanic borrowers by charging them higher prices on unsecured consumer loans.

Properly measured and appropriately set capital levels have a long way to go before becoming excessive.