Financial crimes

Bank will add 400 branches and boost mortgage lending; the company attempts first acquisition since it nearly failed during the financial crisis.

The wave of sexual harassment claims has forced a very public reckoning in certain industries, but financial services firms had largely escaped the spotlight. The departure of a Bank of America executive could signal that the industry has problems lurking behind the scenes.

Wells may have settled with former employee Claudia Ponce de Leon because it wanted to avoid the "massive exposure" of a jury trial, an expert says. It is unclear how the agreement will affect Wells’ other cases.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s semiannual report on industry risk said tougher competition between banks, leading to looser underwriting, could arise from the economic expansion.

As senators weigh anti-money-laundering reforms, they reiterated their desire to include cryptocurrencies as part of legislative discussions.

Ameris, which was operating under a regulatory order when it agreed to buy Atlantic Coast, agreed to pay more money if it failed to complete the acquisition by mid-2018.

Examiners focus too much on how many suspicious activity reports banks file and too little on the true riskiness of their activities, according to lawmakers and industry representatives.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said Tuesday that policymakers need to take a hard look at cryptocurrencies. Senate Banking Chairman Mike Crapo agreed the issue was ripe for a hearing.

A House bill would create a database to track true ownership of corporations; Wall Street regulator wants banks to improve disclosure of risks to consumers.

The Dodd-Frank Act gets more attention when it comes to regulatory burden, but the Bank Secrecy Act and other anti-laundering statutes arguably present even more of a compliance challenge for bankers.