Regulation

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has joined other regulators in seeking to simplify megabanks' myriad legal entities. But instead of being focused on helping a bank to unwind in a failure, the OCC argues simplification can greatly help operational efficiency.

The discovery of racial disparities at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau gives real cause for concern, but it also presents an opportunity for the whole financial services sector to have a broad, healthy dialogue about diversity.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could return $179.2 billion in profits to taxpayers over the next 10 years if they continue operating under federal conservatorship, according to White House budget analysts.

The housing sector is increasingly a drag on consumption and job creation. The fault lies not with the market but with ill-considered regulations and bank capital rules.

The settlement of the Visa and MasterCard class action interchange swipe fee case has spawned a new type of company—the third-party claims filing company.

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It is still unresolved how regulators will apply capital requirements to insurance companies under the Dodd-Frank regime for systemic firms, but members of Congress are urging the Federal Reserve Board to be flexible.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

A former employee of TD Bank and her accomplice have pleaded guilty to committing identity theft and stealing government funds.

Fast-tracking foreclosures on vacant properties in states that handle foreclosures through the courts "could result in substantial cost savings" for all involved, according to a study by Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.