Policy & Regulation

As the CFPB focuses on the screening processes that banks use to vet checking account applications, regulators should try to maintain a balance between safety and soundness concerns and consumer protection.

The White House is slated to unveil a major package of initiatives on Friday to increase data security for financial transactions, including an executive order to add chip-and-PIN technology to government-issued credit and debit cards.

Congress and banking agencies should seize the opportunity to eliminate unnecessary and outdated requirements.

Bitcoin adopters in Ohio have been some of the most vocal about how state laws need to evolve to encourage the use of digital currency, but the Ohio government seems to want that change to come from the courts rather than the legislature.

The Obama administration is pushing to ease access to mortgage credit, particularly for first-time homebuyers, but it doesn't appear likely it will employ one of its most readily available tools.

The student lending industry argues that the problems the CFPB is finding in the market are more related to federal loans than private ones and disagree with the agency's push to allow student loans to be charged off in bankruptcy.

Although Congress may soon tackle whether to raise the $50 billion "systemic" threshold for banks, First Republic CEO James Herbert says the bank must still invest heavily in hiring the necessary staff to help it deal with the additional regulation from such a designation.

Assistant Treasury Secretary Daniel Glaser says his department is working with the federal banking agencies to ease banks' fears about serving foreign remittance providers.

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said he favors size limits for financial institutions to help boost stability.

A regulatory report released this summer helped fuel hopes that banks were finally beginning to loosen up on making mortgage loans. But since then strategists say there is no evidence that an easing of credit standards is taking place.