Policy & Regulation

Complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau jumped 54% to 542,300 in 2020. Concerns about credit reports have long outnumbered those in other categories and jumped significantly as a share of the total from 2019.

Free investment education and testing for risk tolerance are among the ways financial firms can better reach underserved consumers, former SEC chief Jay Clayton and Operation HOPE’s John Hope Bryant say.

Two banking bills signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker carry implications for payday lenders, auto title lenders, credit unions and nonbank mortgage lenders. Pritzker, a Democrat, said the bills will address racial-equity gaps in the state.

Top officials at the U.S. central bank and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reaffirmed their commitment to understand how extreme weather events affect financial institutions and the economy as a whole. Many Republicans, however, worry the Federal Reserve’s new climate focus strays too far from its traditional function.

The agency's plan would strengthen requirements that banks use a minimum amount of their real estate for the business of banking, but three grade groups say banks need flexibility in the pandemic to manage occupancy.

Almost $2 trillion of debt pegged to dollar Libor, much of which can’t easily be shifted to an alternative benchmark, won’t mature until after the discredited rate expires in mid-2023, according to the Federal Reserve-backed group guiding the transition.

Legacy contracts using the London interbank offered rate — which is set to be phased out at the end of this year — were granted a reprieve to mid-2023. However, there is no wiggle room on when the rate will expire for new deals, said Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Randal Quarles.

Democratic leaders are encouraging the Federal Reserve to develop its own digital currency to expand financial services access. Chair Jerome Powell indicated the central bank plans to take a methodical approach.

The Secured Overnight Financing Rate stemmed from years of discussion between regulators and a broad group of industry stakeholders about a safer alternative to Libor. Critics who say big-bank control of the new benchmark exacerbates risk are wrong.

Changes to CDFI Fund regulations could make it significantly easier to raise the capital required to get a new institution off the ground.