Policy & Regulation

Shopkeepers and other establishments say banks' costs have fallen substantially in recent years but interchange prices have held steady since the Federal Reserve capped them in 2010.

Shop owners and other establishments say banks' costs have fallen substantially in recent years but interchange prices have held steady since the Federal Reserve capped them in 2010.

A group representing bank directors says the regulator’s sudden attempt to increase penalties by millions of dollars would set a dangerous precedent.

Looming defaults and the potential for heavier regulatory scrutiny have prompted banks to pull back from the sector. Is that a good thing?

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is dismissing claims that loose monetary policy has led to rising home values and shrinking inventory and insists that the market is buoyed by creditworthy borrowers and investors.

Democratic senators seek to block the "true lender" regulation, which they say lets national banks sell loans to lenders who then avoid state usury caps. Republicans say overturning the rule would restrict access to credit.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has moved ahead with an earlier proposal to postpone the full adoption of the qualified-mortgage ability-to-repay rule, citing a need to maximize borrowers' credit access.

It would be available to homeowners making 80% or less of their area’s median income who weren't eligible to tap into low rates last year.

Banks could be a better option than payday lenders to meet consumers’ short-term credit needs. But all the OCC’s regulation does is enable partnerships that circumvent state usury laws.

Loans and tax-subsidized investments by financial institutions have helped fund food markets and pantries in low-income communities. But there is still more work to do to close the grocery gap.