Policy & Regulation

A former Georgia community banker who faked his own death two years ago was sentenced on Tuesday to serve 30 years in prison for committing fraud that led to a bank's failure.

The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday issued a final rule establishing common risk management standards for all financial market utilities subject to central bank supervision.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a report Tuesday highlighting illegal servicing practices in the $1.2 trillion student lending market, including charging illegal late fees, allocating payments to maximize late fees and misrepresenting minimum payments.

A senior lawmaker's bid to take the Financial Services Committee gavel next year from Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, is unlikely to prove successful, but the effort could still have far-reaching implications for House Republicans.

Many of the checking accounts offered on U.S. military bases come under criticism in a new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Board members at smaller banks tend to dismiss the importance of the annual self-assessment process. But as board governance attracts growing regulatory scrutiny, directors should embrace the chance to identify areas for improvement.

Housing policy needs to be refocused on strengthening household balance sheets, especially by making borrowersmore resilient to home price declines. A new 15-year fixed-rate mortgage that allows borrowers to use the down payment to buy down the interest rate on the loan is designed to do just that.

What initially appeared to be a listening session by a key federal regulator about access to checking accounts has sparked concerns that the agency may be seeking to go much further in dictating how and when banks open accounts for consumers.

The agency is now using Fincen guidance that was designed to make banks and credit unions more comfortable with the pot industry's risks. Such actions are encouraging more banks — but still not many — to do business with this emerging industry.

WASHINGTON — Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg said Monday that federal regulators are keeping a close eye on the nonbank financial sector and how it is affecting banks.