Regulation

WASHINGTON — The Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday examining regulatory relief for small banks and credit unions, kicking off what is expected to be a central debate this term over changes to the Dodd-Frank Act.

The CFPB has a historic opportunity to fix the small-dollar loan market by emulating Colorado's reforms. That would mean requiring all payday lenders to offer affordable installment payments and cracking down on deceptive practices like loan flipping.

The Federal Housing Administration's new foreclosure relief options for nonborrowing spouses of reverse mortgage customers will increase loan servicers' costs, and some question how many consumers they will actually help.

While lawmakers are calling for a bill to raise Dodd-Frank's unpopular $50 billion threshold for banks to be considered "systemically important," regulators actually have the power to do it without legislation.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking to permanently ban a credit provider in Texas from offering any services because of allegations that it ran a "sham credit card" business.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking to permanently ban a credit provider in Texas from offering any services because of allegations that it ran a "sham credit card" business.

Efforts by investors in the government-sponsored enterprises to find a more friendly court to challenge the government's management of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fell flat in Iowa.

WASHINGTON — The acquirer of a for-profit college chain sued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will forgive over $480 million in student debt under a deal announced Tuesday.

The CFPB's "Safe Student Banking" initiative is designed to pressure students' educational and financial institutions into offering young people narrow options.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. issued five consent orders in December, according to the agency's most recent summary of enforcement actions.