Law and regulation

The California attorney general's lawsuit against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac raises questions about preemption and the FHFA's authority, but seems unlikely to produce revelations about foreclosures.

The divide between Democrats and Republicans over the future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is so vast that it's preventing them from approving key financial appointees who the parties otherwise agree on.

A federal court has ordered an individual behind a payday lending scheme and two companies he controlled to pay $294,536 for illegally trying to garnish borrowers’ wages, and for using other illegal collection practices.

With the settlement talks over foreclosure violations inching closer to a final deal, two members of Congress are urging the Justice Department not to approve any deal that releases servicers from violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

The Justice Department announced Wednesday that it has reached a $335 million settlement with Countrywide, now owned by Bank of America, in the largest fair lending action in history.

Now that the Office of Thrift Supervision has been eliminated, First Federal Savings and Loan Association in Charleston, S.C., does not see much reason to retain its federal charter.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's quarterly mortgage metrics report found that new foreclosures increased 21% in the third quarter, and will remain at the current levels as servicers work through a large overhang of seriously delinquent mortgages.

Occupy Wall Street will enlist the aid and support of B, C, and D-list celebrities in numerous REO takeovers around the country. And other bold predictions.

The most wonderful time of the year is always followed by the practice of resolving to improve in the new year. So in the spirit of the season, here are five suggested 2012 resolutions for federal policymakers.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is considering a plan that would enable underwater homeowners who have filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection to make only principal payments — and no interest — on a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgage for five years.

Roger S. Berkowitz, the chief executive of Legal Sea Foods, has been elected to the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Knee-jerk reactions by investors to news about the European debt crisis and the shrinking value of the euro have sent stock markets on a roller coaster ride globally. And a new treaty signed by euro zone countries giving the European Union authority to reject a country’s national budget and order a redraft if it does not meet targets designed to ease the debt crisis has heightened their apprehension.

The number of new foreclosures increased 21.1% in the third quarter as mortgage servicers lifted voluntary moratoria implemented late last year, according to a report released Wednesday by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency has again delayed implementation of an initiative to update and streamline the loan and appraisal data collected by the government-sponsored enterprises.

The Justice Department today will announce a settlement with Bank of America Corp. involving allegations of discriminatory lending practices by its Countrywide Financial Corp. unit, people familiar with the matter say.

Daniel Mudd, the former Fannie Mae CEO who is the subject of a new, massive SEC fraud suit, announced Wednesday morning that he is taking a leave of absence from his current employer, Fortress Investment Group, New York.

Bank of America is close to settling a Justice Department probe into whether its Countrywide unit violated fair-lending practices, said two people with knowledge of the discussions.

Nothing lasts forever as evidenced by the short term marriage of Hollywood stars. Differences in attitudes, status and in some cases just irreconcilable differences often cause breakups following many years of being together. One of fraying relationship is the 100 year plus association between the 6,000 plus smaller community banks and the nation's largest banks. This long standing relationship between big and small is on the rocks as the two groups have drawn apart, rarely working together or supporting one another anymore.

First Premier Bank has for decades offered credit cards with higher rates and fees than almost any other bank. For instance, if you borrowed $250 on one of their cards and held that balance for a year, you'd pay roughly 75% of that amount, $187.50, in finance charges and fees—assuming no late payment or other charges.

The central bank unveiled a 173-page proposal on Tuesday detailing how it will regulate systemically important banks and nonbanks. While the plan offered a lot of specifics, some burning questions, including how much certain firms will pay as a capital surcharge, were left unanswered.