Law and regulation

The Volcker Rule is a mass of complexity. PWC's Dan Ryan explains how it's likely to evolve and what bankers need to do to cope.

The head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau talks about the challenges of building a new agency, quelling fear of the bureau among the industry, working with other regulators, and preparing for 2012.

The community banking sector is starving for capital, and yet debate is dominated by complaints about regulatory burden. Instead, banks need to push regulators to let private equity investors assist small institutions.

Kenya has introduced rules to compel banks and card networks to improve their security standards to check the rise in ATM fraud in the East African country.

Lawsuits citing Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) violations reached 10,788 this year through Nov. 30. Last year, the 10,000 mark was reached on Dec. 1.

A top OCC official faced sharp questions about the ties between mortgage servicers and the consultants that are reviewing their past business practices.

The Office of Financial Research, established by the Dodd-Frank Act to help regulators identify and thwart systemic risk events, faces a daunting task.

Mortgage industry members are applauding Congressional efforts to raise the guarantee fees that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac charge lenders, saying the fee increases could help bring private investors back into the mortgage market.

The FDIC has served as the receiver on 90 banks so far this year, well below analysts' expectations. Still, observers say another 200 banks are at risk of failure over the next two years.

Agency had originally sought much more in case stemming from 2008 failure, but officials say deal still provides creditor relief.

The silence is almost deafening.

Washington Mutual Inc. unveiled a new proposed settlement with shareholders who have held up confirmation of its Chapter 11 plan and a $7 billion payday for creditors.

Bond insurer MBIA Inc. will pay Morgan Stanley $1.1 billion to settle a two-year-old legal clash over guarantees tied to commercial and residential real estate, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Members of the Senate Banking Committee voiced concerns Tuesday over a series of reports from a government watchdog that identified flaws in the FHFA's oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

With the number of bank failures continuing to fall, the agency plans to cut its budget by 15% in 2012.

The nomination of Hoenig, the former Kansas City Fed president, now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

Three former executives of Washington Mutual Inc. have agreed to settle a civil lawsuit stemming from the biggest-ever bank failure for less than 10% of the $900 million that was sought by federal regulators, according to people familiar with the situation.

The Missouri Supreme Court has declined to hear the Missouri Attorney General's appeal of a decision to uphold a trial court’s dismissal of the attorney general’s lawsuit against Portfolio Recovery Associates.

The Texas Attorney General's office on Monday sued Houston-based payday loan collection agency First Integral Recovery, alleging employees claimed the company was tied with law enforcement agencies and the Internal Revenue Service.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney urged Newt Gingrich to return more than $1.6 million he made consulting for Freddie Mac, one of the two government-sponsored enterprises caught up in the housing meltdown.