Law and regulation

Whether they work in insurance, on Wall Street, or at credit card companies, these women are all making a mark on the industry.

State regulators closed a bank on each coast Friday, bringing the failure tally this year to 73.

Acting chairman stresses that the agency's own planning is just as important as plans submitted by companies.

Vikram Pandit, Citi's CEO, pushed for greater consumer regulation, including better disclosure by credit card companies and a significant shift in consumer lending.

New regulations reducing debit card interchange fees are causing some banks to charge customers more for using debit cards, which could drive consumers to increase their use of credit cards, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley said Friday a surcharge on the world’s most important firms is necessary to avoid any potential future failures.

SunTrust Banks Inc. in Atlanta said Friday that it has repurchased more than 4 million warrants it issued to the Treasury Department three years ago as part of its participation in the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Alternative capital instruments would allow mutually held banks to become more vital providers of financial services.

Contrary to many community banks, Eagle Bancorp of Bethesda, Md., has strong loan demand and lacks sufficient deposits to cover the loans. Eagle CEO Ron Paul and analysts cite the relative economic health of the Washington area for Eagle's growth, leading to a need for creative solutions.

Chairman Bernanke and Secretary Paulson wrongly said they lacked the legal power to save Lehman. Then, they almost immediately turned around and saved other major investment banks — by waving a magic wand and making them bank holding companies, eligible for federal support. But Shakespeare's line applies: "If it were done…, then 'twere well it were done quickly."

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has issued cease-and-desist orders against Intercredit Bank in Miami and Border Capital Bank in McAllen, Texas, citing credit and capital concerns.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should ease restrictions on sales of foreclosed properties and let individual investors buy up to 50 each, says Lewis S. Ranieri.

The release of the Federal Reserve’s new debit interchange rules is merely the latest in a series of unprecedented legal, economic and technological events that have buffeted the financial-services industry over the last three years. In many financial experts’ minds, the new rules have raised as many questions as they have settled.

Two reports by the Federal Housing Finance Agency's Inspector General are critical of the agency for the lack of accredited examiners and its failure to force Fannie Mae to create an oversight program.

A bill seeking to modernize the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), a critical push for the collection industry, was introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday.

Dodd-Frank will prove hugely expensive and still fail in its main mission of preventing the next financial crisis. Blame Washington and its flawed assumption that it can micro-manage the banking system.

Regulators have longed encouraged banks to make small-dollar loans to people who otherwise lack access to credit. But testimony before Congress makes clear that their efforts are faltering.

Sen. Richard Shelby, the Alabama Republican, wants to require a deeper analysis of costs and benefits before financial regulations can be imposed.

Credit card company Discover Financial Services has been a frequent buyer in the past year as it tries to expand beyond its traditional card lending and network roots. But now it is developing new businesses internally, including a new online checking account it plans to launch at the end of 2012.

Revised lending data released Thursday by the Federal Reserve Board showed a much bigger role for the government-sponsored enterprises than previously estimated.