Enforcement

American Express rules barring businesses from asking customers to use lower-cost credit cards violate U.S. antitrust law, a federal judge found.

HSBC has spent billions of dollars in compliance and legal costs, but the damaging scandals keep coming. Renewed attention on the problems at its Swiss private bank could fuel the debate about whether banks this size are too big to manage.

The confirmation hearing for attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch suggested a shift in legislators' attitudes toward banks. Rather than the usual focus on banks' alleged misdeeds, lawmakers cast them as victims of government overreach in Operation Choke Point.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau took action Thursday against three mortgage companies that, authorities say, falsely implied affiliation with the U.S. government.

WASHINGTON — NewDay Financial has agreed to a $2 million fine after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau alleged that the mortgage lender engaged in an improper kickback scheme and used deceptive marketing tactics targeted at veterans.

The Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities has freed Orrstown Bank in Shippensburg from all enforcement actions related to its recent credit troubles.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is trying to send a clearer message to banks about potential red flags by removing low-level recommendations from its exam reports.

An admission of guilt would help investors make informed decisions about the validity of credit ratings and open up the rating business to healthy competition on the basis of quality.

Wells Fargo has agreed to pay $4 million to settle charges that it made secured credit card loans in violation of New York law.

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.

President Obama is making a renewed push to boost funding for Wall Street's top cops after regulators said budget constraints were keeping them from enforcing rules put in place after the financial crisis.

Banks victimized by loan fraud, identity theft, embezzlement and other crimes may be reluctant to cooperate with federal authorities. But it's often worth their while.

California's Department of Business Oversight said Friday that it will drop its effort to suspend Ocwen Loan Servicing's mortgage license in California. The Atlanta servicer had failed for more than a year to provide its California regulator with requested information

Seaway Bank and Trust in Chicago has entered into a consent order with state and federal regulators.

The consumer bureau and Maryland's AG allege the loan officers received consumer data and other services in return for business referrals.

BB&T plans to add more than $20 billion in assets this year through three pending acquisitions. Management, which believes it should have no problem getting its deals approved, has started to improve how it monitors its liquidity capital ratio before new thresholds kick in.

Regulators want banks to police MSBs for illicit activity, but they do not view all such businesses as high-risk, said David Cohen, Treasury's top AML official.

Government investigations of auto lending are beginning to pile up, and they are weighing on investors' perceptions of the fast-growing industry.

WASHINGTON — Two officials at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have been named into key roles, the agency confirmed Tuesday.

Federal regulators announced Thursday that they are delaying implementation of certain aspects of the Volcker Rule's prohibition on bank ownership of private equity and hedge funds, giving institutions an additional two years to comply.