Regulation

While small and regional banks are pushing for a rollback of the Dodd-Frank Act, big banks are largely supportive of the 2010 financial reform law, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said Thursday.

Freddie Mac posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $3.3 billion and will request $312 million from the Treasury after recent tax reform legislation forced it to write down the value of deferred tax assets.

Despite a legislative push by some senators and other stakeholders to jump-start housing finance reform, efforts to form consensus over a bill once again are stuck in neutral.

Amid all the complaining about increased regulation, and the need to maintain higher capital levels, bankers are failing to realize that there is also a significant opportunity: Those that develop operational excellence at deploying capital can set themselves apart from peers.

U.S. Bancorp has agreed to pay $613 million in penalties to state and federal authorities for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and a faulty anti-money-laundering program.

As regulators look to update the Community Reinvestment Act, they should better integrate online and mobile banking activity as part of exam performance.

The legislation, introduced by Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., would essentially reverse a court ruling that marketplace lenders say has blocked them from helping more consumers access credit.

Acting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Mick Mulvaney is discarding many of the policies of his predecessor but none as important perhaps as the agency's targeting of "unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices."

Nonbank mortgage firms are seeking formal assurance from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that they will not become subject to surprise audits or enforcement without involvement of a state regulator.

Lenders should be encouraged to hold more credit risk in the mortgage market, rather than having it foisted on Fannie and Freddie.