Policy & Regulation

The election of Democrat Phil Murphy as New Jersey's next governor is being hailed as a victory for advocates of state-owned banks. But challenges remain — namely, stubborn opposition from mainstream banks.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking more information about consumers' experience with free access to credit scores.

The company has reapplied to buy Civic Bank more than a year after a regulatory snag forced it to put the deal on ice.

While the Bank of America chief says he is encouraged by progress on tax reform, he cautioned that it remains politically and fiscally tough to accomplish, and that the wrong moves on immigration could offset some of the gains from tax cuts.

The regulatory relief bill would raise the SIFI threshold to $250 billion of assets and allow mortgages held in portfolio to be counted as "qualified," among other items, but it is far less sweeping than institutions had hoped.

While some community bankers and Washington advocates doubt the likelihood of achieving meaningful regulatory relief in the 115th Congress, the many measures advancing on Capitol Hill leave plenty of room for optimism.

During the past year, many have hoped for action from Washington that would alleviate regulatory burden and stem the rapid pace of consolidation. But in the current political environment, that appears increasingly unlikely.

As the banking industry moves closer to adopting a faster payments system, bank executives have begun to think through the impact it will have on clients and banks themselves.

Trump officials have made clear their intent to reexamine how Federal Housing Administration lenders are cited under the False Claims Act, but whether that means lenders can rest easier is an open question.

A bill that would ease Basel III capital requirements on commercial real estate loans could level the playing field between depository and nonbank lenders and spur more construction lending if it passes in the Senate.