Policy & Regulation

Even if the Federal Reserve Board does not backtrack sharply on its debit-fee cap as a result of last week's court ruling, the legal battle has created fresh uncertainty that may have some U.S. issuers questioning their long-term strategy.

The $22.5 billion Structured Agency Credit Risk transaction serves its purpose, but shows how much more work and thinking needs to be done to redesign the housing finance system.

President Obama has nominated J. Christopher Giancarlo to serve on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Karen Dynan to serve as assistant Treasury secretary for economic policy.

A Bitcoin conference in New York last week drew a motley crowd. There were the expected wide-eyed believers in the digital currency, earnest entrepreneurs building Bitcoin-related businesses, and somewhat more skeptical venture capitalists — but also traditional banking lawyers and anti-money laundering compliance consultants whose services are in hot demand. Startup executives complained about the difficulty of getting (or keeping) bank accounts and state money transmitter licenses. But the technology shows great promise and demonstrates that it is possible to send money as fast and as cheaply as email, even if banks running on legacy systems cannot.

WASHINGTON — Regulators seized a $265 million-asset bank based in Fort Myers, Fla., late Friday and sold its operations in a deal protecting all of the failed bank's depositors.

While the Obama administration has publicly kept its distance from the housing finance reform debate during the past two years, it has been privately working in recent months to help move a bill forward.

From the Volcker Rule to GSE reform, a number of major banking policy issues remain unresolved as the nation's capital clears out for its annual summer recess. Here's a look at where the policymaking and regulatory agendas stand, the prospects for August surprises and what issues are likely to heat up when the weather cools.

U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle dismissed a Texas community bank's case against the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, stating that the financial institution, as well as the 11 states and two conservative groups backing the case have no legal ability to challenge the reform law.

A federal judge has dismissed a Texas community bank's case against key parts of the Dodd-Frank Act, arguing the institution, as well as the 11 states and two conservative groups backing it, have no legal ability to challenge the 2010 financial reform law.

Sen. David Vitter, a staunch conservative who can usually be found singing the praises of plans to break up big banks and overhaul the FHA, will be singing a different tune this weekend — namely that of pop idol Justin Bieber.