Policy & Regulation

A federal judge ruled that bitcoins are “a currency or form of money” and therefore subject to relevant U.S. laws in a case against a Texas man accused of creating a fraudulent Bitcoin hedge fund.

Meracord is allowing businesses to leverage its money transmitter platform and state license portfolio, a move to help startups navigate the complex and expensive regulatory environment surrounding transmitting funds.

Freddie Mac's top lawyer threatened to file suit against municipalities that attempt to use eminent domain to refinance underwater mortgages.

Even as policymakers plot its demise, Fannie is raising the prices it pays to community lenders for mortgage loans — outbidding large-bank aggregators like Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase.

In a Web chat with Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff, Obama said he'll urge Congress to act on a reform package to wind down Fannie and Freddie and place housing on a "more stable footing," but also give homeowners "a chance to refinance while interest rates are still low."

Bankers are pressing ahead with sales of nonperforming commercial loans, and debt collectors are buying them up, even though regulatory pressure has slowed or halted the unloading of bad consumer loans.

As Congress struggles to determine the appropriate role for government in the mortgage market, affordable housing may prove a politically charged hurdle on the path to reform.

The decline of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could usher in a mortgage renaissance for community banks facilitated by their natural partner, the Federal Home Loan Bank System.

Sallie Mae has told shareholders that federal regulators were expected to penalize the company for violations of a federal law that offers special borrower benefits to members of the military.

President Obama belatedly weighed in Tuesday with a vision of how to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the future of housing finance. American Banker editors discuss how the White House’s involvement is likely to influence the debate.