Policy & Regulation

WASHINGTON — Zions Bancorp., the largest bank remaining in the Troubled Asset Relief Program, repaid the last of its government funds to exit the program Wednesday, the Treasury Department announced.

Joe Smith, the monitor of the $25 billion mortgage settlement, talks about whether the five largest servicers will be ready when they report on their progress next week.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Wednesday named agency veteran John Vogel as the regional director in its New York office.

California Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed three new laws that are part of the Homeowner Bill of Rights aimed at increasing prosecutions for mortgage-related crimes.

An increase in capital requirements may reduce earnings, minimize returns and contribute to a stagnant environment where loan production is at a minimum and bank acquisitions are very few.

The Federal Reserve's latest mortgage bond purchases so far are helping profit margins at lenders, including Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase, more than homebuyers and property owners looking to refinance.

"The Financial Crisis and the Free Market Cure," delivers on expectations that former BB&T chief John Allison would continue to put heavy blame on politicians for the panic of 2008 and the lingering economic malaise.

Metro Bank in Harrisburg, Pa., will pay $1.5 million to settle claims that it violated the Bank Secrecy Act.

Sen. Dick Durbin, who led the effort to cap debit interchange fees last year, responded to the banking and credit union lobbies’ letters to Congress last week, saying the cap has resulted in a victory for consumers.

Market participants will quickly fill the home finance gap. Financing homes is an excellent business. The S&Ls were successful in this market for 50 years before they were destroyed by government policy.