Policy & Regulation

The changing of the guard at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and hope among bankers for mergers and acquisitions activity are popular items this month.

While the March 3 submission deadline holds firm, compliance experts suggested guidance inquiries for Home Mortgage Disclosure Act filers could be lacking.

During his final week as the Federal Reserve's top regulator, Michael Barr outlined several proposals that he believes would bolster the financial system against emerging risks.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and SoLo Funds, a small-loan fintech, mutually dismissed a case regarding loan cost disclosures and state licensing.

The FDIC withdrew its amicus brief supporting Colorado's opt-out law on interest rate exportation, highlighting the agency's more fintech-friendly regulatory approach under acting Chair Travis Hill.

The agency's attempt to impose its oversight on asset managers who passively invest in banks is duplicative of efforts by the Federal Reserve. It will result in higher costs for banks and lower returns for investors.

Senior Republican House Financial Services Committee lawmakers in a letter to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. gave a series of recommendations that they said would combat so-called "debanking."

Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson said clearer Fed communication and better text analysis has made monetary policy transmission more efficient, but noted that the central bank must remain diligent in how it communicates forward monetary policy guidance.

Too often, banks confronting a problem with their anti-money-laundering compliance opt for quick fixes that fail to address the root of the problem. Building a good corporate risk culture takes time and investment.

Letitia James and 22 other attorneys general have filed an amicus brief in a Maryland case challenging the dissolution of the consumer protection agency.