Economy

Large foreign firms are facing key decisions about the size of their footprint here as they approach a Federal Reserve Board requirement to form a separate holding company to house their U.S. subsidiaries.

Breaking up the biggest banks could wind up increasing the chances of a taxpayer bailout, while reinstating Glass-Steagall would only serve to make banks less stable.

Freddie Mac has planned its first Extended Timeline Pool Offering, the government-sponsored entity announced this week.

The ubiquitous coffee chain is making new inroads with its mobile payments app, and its success underscores how nonbanks can outdo banks at their own game and should be watched closely by banking industry participants.

In light of a recent op-ed about pawnbrokers denied banking services, it's worth reiterating that the FDIC encourages banks to assess individual businesses for risk rather than declining to provide services to entire categories of customers.

In another escalation of Quicken Loans' ongoing clash with the government, the Department of Justice on Thursday filed a lawsuit alleging shoddy underwriting by the company.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Housing Finance Agency is sticking to its schedule and moving quickly to finalize proposed financial requirements for nonbank firms that service Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans.

Bill Emerson, chief executive of Quicken Loans, said at a recent conference that the threat of government probes and a lack of regulatory clarity are making FHA lending less attractive.

Small-business lender Funding Circle, which has operations in the United States and the United Kingdom, has received $150 million in new investment.

As banks have largely ceded the market for government-backed loans to nonbank lenders and servicers, it's fallen on Ginnie Mae to be sure that these nonbanks can meet their obligations to bondholders. It's a huge concern for President Ted Tozer, who says the company does not have the resources or manpower to examine these firms' finances.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt just made one of the biggest policy decisions of his 14-month tenure — but so far it has hardly caused a ripple on Capitol Hill.

Jeffrey Robinson, author of the acerbic "BitCon," explains how he squares his admiration for blockchain technology with his contempt for the Bitcoin currency and community in the final part of a conversation with American Banker's Marc Hochstein.

The National Pawnbrokers Association argues that its members have been unfairly swept up in the Justice Department initiative known as Operation Choke Point. But banks say Choke Point's not to blame: they're closing the accounts of cash-intensive businesses in order to ensure compliance with anti-money-laundering rules.

Golden State regulators want to bar Internet lenders from linking electronically to borrowers' bank accounts and instead require them to accept paper checks as repayment. The proposal is a technological step backward, and it could ultimately force many online lenders to pull out of the nation's largest state.

Banks and public interest groups are squaring off on whether the Federal Reserve Board should extend its proposed capital surcharge on the largest and most complex U.S. banks to be included in the agency's annual stress test analyses.

Former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker proposed a massive shake-up of the U.S. financial regulatory system on Monday that would consolidate oversight into three super regulators.

Hillary Clinton said Friday she had tapped Gary Gensler, the former chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, as the chief financial officer of her 2016 presidential campaign, a move that will likely bolster her credibility as a hawk on Wall Street regulation.

The high-flying sector is primed for a correction, industry leaders said this week. Declining credit standards are one of the top concerns.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren isn't running for president, but her financial reform proposals are designed to help shape the 2016 race, including Hillary Clinton's positions.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., delivered a sweeping speech Wednesday aimed at what she's calling "the unfinished business of financial reform."