Regulation

Manual transaction monitoring doesn't scale to the acceleration of online activity, leading to many potential false negatives, and reduced efficiencies as teams demand quick growth and analysts take time to train properly, says Acuant's Jose Caldera.

The agency’s second in-depth study of the community banking sector pointed to continued challenges for local institutions from the pandemic and other headwinds, but many smaller banks are reaping the benefits of M&A and holding their own against larger competitors in key lending categories.

Bansley & Kiener, without admitting wrongdoing, agreed to pay $2.5 million to address allegations that lax oversight contributed to the 2017 collapse of Washington Federal Bank for Savings.

As with most things related to 2020, COVID-19 will be a deciding factor as the Federal Reserve considers whether banks are able to increase their dividends or resume share buybacks.

The regulator is expected to finalize a rule this week allowing credit unions to issue subordinated debt to outside institutional investors. That's bad public policy, the American Bankers Association writes.

The revamp of the brokered deposits framework offers relief to banks and their partners that saw the prior rule as outdated. Meanwhile, new standards for industrial loan company parents aim to clarify the bank chartering process for fintechs and other nontraditional firms.

Hauptman said dealing with the economic fallout from the coronavirus was a top priority for the agency, along with aligning incentives and expanding the use of technology in the industry.

Lawmakers and the credit union regulator have packed schedules this week as both groups attempt to wrap up their 2020 business before the holidays.

The defense spending bill includes language requiring businesses to report their owners to Fincen.

The agency's principals are scheduled to meet Dec. 15 to vote on a new definition for brokered deposits and on regulatory standards for industrial bank parents.