Policy & Regulation

Regulators need to be able to impose tough requirements on foreign banks with U.S. units in order to safeguard the domestic financial system from turbulence abroad. Sen. Richard Shelby's proposal to raise the asset threshold for systemically important banks would put that ability in jeopardy.

Because the size and structure of current private balance sheets depend upon low interest rates, it will be tough for the Federal Reserve to raise rates without upsetting the economic expansion.

Ocwen Financial's internal review group is "independent," and the Atlanta servicer is in compliance with the national mortgage settlement, settlement monitor Joseph A. Smith said Tuesday.

Exposing a new front in cybercrime, U.S. authorities broke up an alleged insider trading ring that relied on computer hackers to pilfer corporate press announcements and then profited by trading on the sensitive information before it became public, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Farmer Mac reported higher second-quarter profit, citing an increase in the value of financial derivatives and hedged assets.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is trying to "supercharge" its process for reviewing financial innovations in an effort to keep pace with a glut of new products inside and outside the banking system.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is raising concerns about a new financial services communications tool that critics warn could be used to get around compliance requirements.

A New York law that was invalidated by a federal judge was one of many efforts by big cities to pressure banks into making more investments in local communities after the crisis. Some municipal laws could be more vulnerable to bankers' legal challenges than others.

A federal judge has overturned a New York City law that would have required banks to make new disclosures regarding their investments in local communities.

Steven Antonakes, who just stepped down last month as the deputy director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is joining the $9.6 billion-asset Eastern Bank in Boston to serve as a senior vice president and chief compliance officer.