Policy & Regulation

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve announced the formation of a federal advisory council to examine and advise the board on matters related to community and consumer affairs.

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

U.S. travelers may soon be able to hop on flights to Havana, but it will take much more time for the banking industry to feel the full impact of the Obama administration's new rules on economic links with Cuba.

The former head of the bankrupt Mt. Gox Co. bitcoin exchange was originally believed by U.S. investigators to be the secret mastermind behind the Silk Road online drug marketplace, an agent who infiltrated the website told jurors at the trial of the man prosecutors now accuse of running it.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and from our social media platforms and sister publications.

Total overhaul of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is a long shot, but Congress can pass measures that set the housing agencies on a path to reform. Mandating deeper mortgage insurance coverage for loans sold to the housing agencies would be a good place to start.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Thursday that Charles Yi has been appointed as the agency's general counsel.

The Obama Administration's issued looser rules Thursday for transactions in the small island nation, but banks still face impediments.

Under pressure from Congress and credit unions, the NCUA significantly dialed back its proposal to institute risk-based capital requirements, raising the threshold of which institutions must comply and softening other provisions.

Facing the prospect of losing its license in California, Ocwen would be wise to settle its probe by state regulators in a timely manner, observers said. If it doesn't, the mortgage servicer could lose significant revenue and might even face a cash crunch.