Regulation

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said Tuesday that Norman Williams will oversee the three research and analysis divisions that assess financial and economic risks to banks.

The announcement Tuesday by Sen. Orrin Hatch that he will retire at the end of the year could have a ripple effect throughout the Senate, including the leadership of the Banking Committee.

The Lower East Side People’s Credit Union filed a suit against President Trump over his appointment of Mick Mulvaney as the CFPB's acting director.

The banks announced bonuses, wage hikes and charitable contributions resulting from the lower corporate tax rate enacted by Congress.

If acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney ultimately prevails in the lawsuit challenging his position, he is expected to continue implementing the most significant changes to the agency in its six-year history.

Finding a perfect candidate could be tricky. Because the New York Fed oversees banks and operates in markets, someone with Wall Street experience is ideal — yet at the same time, it’s important to find a candidate who isn’t beholden to the banks. Some advisers are pushing for a woman or a minority to be appointed.

But bank will benefit long-term from tax reform; judge says accounting firm failed to detect mortgage fraud that did in Colonial Bank.

Over the past year, the focus of several banking policymakers has been how much the regulatory pendulum might swing back toward the industry’s liking. That theme will likely continue in 2018.

A regulatory relief package is likely to come out of the Senate in the new year, and lawmakers could follow it up with a housing finance reform push. But the midterm elections could cause some reform initiatives to grind to a halt.

The GSEs are on their way to paying back the money they owed the government under the original bailout deal made at the height of the financial crisis, making 2018 an opportune time for an overhaul of the housing finance market.