Diversity and equality

Over the course of its first year in office, the second Trump administration has neutralized the enforcement of key civil rights laws by reorienting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules and eliminating "disparate impact" that allows banks to be penalized for the discriminatory effects of policies without proving discriminatory intent.

A Washington court denied a plaintiff request, pointing to past Supreme Court rulings that showed a compelling interest for the state's special-purpose credit program.

Howard Green's new book Gimme a Crisis offers a deep dive into the former Scotiabank CEO's career, from bringing the NBA to Toronto to navigating 2008.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, building on an executive order by President Trump, wants to eliminate the legal framework of "disparate impact" from its implementation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

Many express frustration with either real or perceived doubts about clients' concerns, but experts say they're missing an opportunity to address them up front.

The agency's announcement that it will consider debanking as part of Community Reinvestment Act examinations is the latest in a series of mystifying pivots by federal banking regulators.

A headline-grabbing 2022 lawsuit alleging racial bias by home appraisers has been quietly dismissed for lack of evidence. At the same time, the Trump administration is rolling back many of the policy changes involving home appraisals that the Biden administration put in place.

A huge percentage of Americans, particularly Gen Z and millennials, score poorly on financial literacy tests, with predictable consequences. AI-powered agents would help empower them.

The U.K. regulator clarified that such behavior at financial firms could ultimately lead to a ban from the sector. 

Many young people begin their journey into adulthood without a solid grounding in the basics of personal finance. Banks and other financial institutions are in a unique position to provide that knowledge.

Opposition is growing to the Trump administration's efforts to roll back fair lending requirements for lenders imposed by Biden-era prosecutors.

The 5-year-old experiment of tying executive compensation to achieving diversity goals appears to be ending. The abrupt shift comes amid the Trump administration's crackdown on DEI.

Three current and former employees of the New York City-based bank allege that executives made racist comments, misused corporate money and retaliated against protected complaints.

For fintech to achieve its true potential of democratizing financial access for all, we need diverse viewpoints among fintech founders, board members and advisors.

Financial inclusion cannot be allowed to become a meaningless set of buzzwords. Strong economic growth and future prosperity hinges on the ability of everyone in society to access financial services.

Central bank digital currencies have the potential to improve financial inclusion for women, but only if they are combined with a system that lowers multiple other barriers to their financial empowerment.

The challenge comes on the heels of decisions from judges in Maryland and California ruling in favor of laid off probationary employees.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau asked a federal judge to vacate and set aside a settlement against a Chicago mortgage lender, accusing the CFPB of misconduct in a case brought under former Director Kathy Kraninger, a Trump appointee.

The largest U.S. banks are facing shareholder votes on a number of politically charged issues — some backed by conservative groups and others championed by organizations with a more progressive bent.

The number of shareholder proposals appearing in banks' proxy statements is down significantly this year, due to Trump-era regulatory changes and new concerns about political blowback.