Compliance

Credit card networks and issuers have done a poor job in explaining the implications of the just-passed Oct. 1 deadline for moving to EMV chip-and-PIN cards, leaving many small businesses confused, lawmakers said Wednesday during a hearing on Capitol Hill.

Banks say the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plan to ban arbitration clauses for individual claims will aid trial lawyers, while consumer advocates say the move is overdue and may not go far enough.

Fifth Third Bancorp has agreed to pay nearly $85 million to settle fraud charges related to undisclosed defective Federal Housing Administration-insured loans.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s impending proposal, to be reviewed by a small business advisory panel, would block companies from using arbitration clauses to avoid class actions but allow them for individuals.

It may not be an outright ban on arbitration clauses, but the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s impending proposal to enable more class-action lawsuits comes close.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's impending proposal, to be reviewed by a small business advisory panel, would block companies from using arbitration clauses to avoid class actions but allow them for individuals.

Charleston, S.C. -- A devastating “once-in-a-thousand years” storm has led to the closing of various credit union branches in the most heavily affected parts of South Carolina.

A California company called NEFT wants to provide the online meeting place where debt-laden borrowers get together with lenders and credit bureaus to negotiate repayment plans. Backed by some prominent investors, NEFT says it offers carrots to get all the parties to participate.

Republicans and the financial industry face long odds in making structural changes to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this year, but the ultimate outcome of the battle is still far from certain.

Consumer advocacy groups are urging regulators to take a closer look at how alternative lenders are using the stockpiles of personal information they collect.

The Mortgage Bankers Association is disappointed that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has not provided an explicit temporary safe harbor for lenders who have made a good-faith effort to implement new disclosures.

This week marks the fourth anniversary of the “Durbin amendment,” a defective law directing the Federal Reserve to impose price-controls on debit interchange fees.

Affordable Care Act adjustments offer relief for small employer compliance challenges, but proposed solutions may also create confusion for employers and their advisers. One legal expert shares what to expect from Washington and how to prepare for ACA compliance.

Rules set by Visa and MasterCard suggest that by the start of this month, ideally, banks would all be issuing EMV-compliant cards and retailers would have the technology to accept them. If one party is supporting EMV and the other is not, the delinquent entity will have to cover the cost of any fraud that ensues.

In comments to the Treasury Department, traditional financial institutions are calling for more oversight of an industry that is fast becoming a big competitive threat.

In comments to the Treasury Department, traditional financial institutions are calling for more oversight of an industry that is fast becoming a big competitive threat.

The National Credit Union Administration has served three former credit union employees with prohibition orders barring them from working for any federally insured financial institutions.

Community banks merit more regulatory relief, particularly those that hold mortgage originations. That was a key message from James Bullard, St. Louis Fed president, during a community banking conference in St. Louis hosted by the Federal Reserve Board and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors.

Bankers need to show they are in control of relationships with outside vendors, must be ready to respond to M&A-related protests and should be as concerned about economic growth as interest rates, according to the St. Louis Fed's supervisory chief.

A new survey reveals a wish-list for anti-money laundering specialists to help ease their process of assessing customer risk, a major concern as mobile technology and virtual currency play a larger role in the payments market.