Policy & Regulation

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers sent a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday expressing concern about the agency's proposal to rein in payday lending and other short-term credit, warning it could hamper credit availability.

Since Wells Fargo's settlement three weeks ago with federal regulators over charges thousands of employees opened up millions of fake accounts, the bank's troubles have only grown worse. Lawsuits by former employees have been filed, the bank's chief executive was subject to two disastrous hearings on Capitol Hill and lawmakers are opening calling to break the bank up. But it is the multiple investigations into the bank which may prove to be its toughest challenge. While some relate to the phony accounts, others touch on different issues — and they have been growing. Following is a look at investigations, recent settlements and other actions taken since the news broke in early September.

WASHIINGTON -- The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Friday published its annual summary of insured deposits U.S. banks and thrifts.

Restoring consumer confidence in financial services won't be easy after the latest banking brouhaha, but the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau can help by proactively holding all mortgage loan officers to the same federal licensing standard.

Strong home sales are boosting originations of Federal Housing Administration loans and opening the door for first-time buyers — developments that could portend the mortgage insurance agency receiving a positive report from auditors this fall.

Strategies include developing formal agreements with partners defining the anti-money-laundering requirements and responsibilities that are expected of them.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

BB&T Corp. has agreed to pay $83 million to settle a Department of Justice investigation over loans that failed quality control tests but were still insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

Artificial intelligence like IBM's Watson may not make bank compliance officers obsolete, but it could mean far fewer of them will be needed in the future, focused on higher-level tasks.

Community bankers are showing renewed interest in consumer lending but admit they may be losing ground to more tech-savvy players, according to a survey released Thursday.