Policy & Regulation

American Banker's 2026 Predictions report finds that nonbank entities and check fraud are major threats to local banks in the coming months.

Noelle Acheson argues that growing demand for dollar-denominated stablecoins is going to give the Treasury Department increasing influence over the direction of the U.S. economy, perhaps at the cost of the Federal Reserve.

The latest directive, which takes effect in March, allows only U.S. citizens and nationals to seek government-guaranteed financing. It's drawing criticism from Democrats in Congress, small-business advocates and some lenders.

Prosecutors allege Curtis Weston and a bank insider used fraudulent loans to fund stock market trades, leaving the bank with $20 million in losses.

In a contentious House Financial Services Committee oversight hearing, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sidestepped questions on the Trump family crypto conflicts of interest and inflation with pugnacious responses to Democratic lawmakers' questions.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is slated to testify in the House Financial Services Committee Wednesday morning as part of the committee's regular oversight of the Financial Stability Oversight Council.

The Chicago-based, $261 million-asset Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust was placed in receivership and its assets sold to Detroit-based First Independence Bank, costing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s Deposit Insurance Fund an estimated $19.7 million.

Court documents reveal how a teller used the drive-through window and work email to aid a scheme that bypassed TD's fraud defenses.

Former Fed Gov. Kevin Warsh is a relatively known quantity to financial markets, but his embrace of President Trump's agenda and the White House's own contentious relationship with the central bank make it hard to know with certainty where — or even whether — he will lead the Fed.