Policy & Regulation

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

Protests by community groups and now a public hearing threaten to delay the completion of CIT's acquisition of OneWest Bank. The deal will probably get approved, and it might not get delayed too long, but all those "probablys" and "mights" are what make the proponents of more big M&A queasy.

The head of the Federal Communications Commission is pushing hard against charging fees for faster Internet access, a stance that's a relief to businesses like Dwolla that use the Internet to develop and deliver payment services.

Support for fully exempting community banks from the Volcker Rule continues to grow, but advocates fear it could be waylaid by a larger fight in Congress over changes to the Dodd-Frank Act.

Regulators are taking their review of CIT Group's agreement to buy OneWest Bank to a public forum, following community activists' complaints about the deal.

Banco Santander's stock market value plummeted after it announced an $8.8 billion capital raise and dividend cuts in January. The experience serves as a reminder to bank directors that the interests of investors cannot remain forever on the back burner.

A federal judge has upheld a Texas law that bars the state's retailers from charging an additional fee to customers who pay with a credit card.

CashCall, an online loan servicer, reached a $1 million settlement with California's Department of Business Oversight on Thursday.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., reintroduced legislation Thursday that would block regulators from ordering banks to end relationships with customers without cause, in response to a controversial law enforcement effort.

New disclosure rules from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau don't go into effect until this summer, but lenders are already worried about compliance and fearing it may make the closing process far more difficult.