Regulation

Director Richard Cordray recently suggested that the actions of debt collectors, credit reporting agencies and mortgage servicers — and banks' ties to them — merit extra regulatory scrutiny because consumers are at their mercy.

Tough regulations, strict oversight and sophisticated analytics can all help, but they pale in comparison to a culture that actively embraces risk management rather than paying lip service to it.

Results suggests safety when there is none and diverts attention from the real need for structural reform.

Joon Park, a Virginia-based loan broker, pleaded guilty this week in Baltimore federal court to using fake documents to win $100 million in bank loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Visa Inc. would benefit from buying Visa Europe Ltd. because creating a single global business would outweigh regulatory risk, JPMorgan Chase & Co. says.

Abolish the public/private hybrid model of Fannie and Freddie, sell or liquidate their businesses, and privatize the mortgage market. This can be done in an orderly way in a few easy steps.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren plans to write a book about her experience in battling Wall Street over financial reform, according to remarks she made to the Boston Globe.

LNB Bancorp in Lorain, Ohio, has retired a large chunk of its bailout money by offering its owners common stock.

Several housing groups are urging lawmakers to stop using certain fee increases at government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to offset unrelated spending.

Banks are going to have to work harder next year if they want to continue to pass the Federal Reserve Board's annual stress test exercise.