Law and regulation

In evaluating Enova's proposed acquisition of Grasshopper Bancorp, regulators must decide whether to allow lending products with annual percentage rates of nearly 100% into the national banking system.

The CFPB's small-business-data rule is a lesson in what happens when nobody agrees.

The president's nominee for Fed chair should get a hearing, and there will be a lot of questions. What he isn't getting, at least right now, is a vote.

Community Bankshares in Lagrange ran afoul of regulators after announcing a major expansion of its government-guaranteed lending operation in 2025.

The Federal Savings Bank in Chicago got hit with a federal consent order after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency found that the bank blasted veterans with millions of deceptive ads.

The FDIC rescinded guidance that advised charging customers multiple nonsufficient-funds fees for the same transaction could be considered unfair or deceptive.

Quantum computers are one dire threat for cryptos, but public disinterest is a bigger one.

The new executive order could add lender competition for self-employed borrowers, potentially via a small loan carveout and one for portfolio products.

Bank of America has reached a settlement in principle to resolve a class-action lawsuit filed by victims of Jeffrey Epstein.

State attorneys general sued the Department of Housing and Urban Development as well as lender OneMain Financial; M&T Bank CEO Rene Jones talks about the changing nature of money, and the stone money of Yap.

A House subcommittee debated new legislation to improve bank data sharing and slow down transactions to thwart sophisticated financial scams.

Romance scams and other "pig butchering" frauds are growing rapidly. Should banks refund the stolen money? Not all agree on the answer to that question.

The Supreme Court slammed the door on CashCall's final appeal, cementing a massive win for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after a 12-year legal marathon.

As the Trump administration limits access to only U.S. citizens, volume in the Small Business Administration's flagship loan program is already trailing the 2025 pace. Experts predict that the tighter eligibility criteria will send more loans to nonbanks.

Judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia struggled to find a resolution to an injunction issued last year that halted reductions-in-force by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The CFPB is in an existential legal brawl against it's own acting director, Russell Vought, and President Donald Trump, whose confirmed goal is to kill the agency.

The Made in America Manufacturing Finance Act would double the loan-size threshold for SBA manufacturing loans to $10 million. It would be the first change to the limit since 2010.

The latest directive, which takes effect in March, allows only U.S. citizens and nationals to seek government-guaranteed financing. It's drawing criticism from Democrats in Congress, small-business advocates and some lenders.

Bilt's new card caps interest rates at 10% for one year and Affirm is adding BNPL for rent as analysts predict the political environment will benefit fintechs.

Enova International, a nonbank lender in Chicago, plans to gain scale by taking over Grasshopper Bank's national bank charter. The deal already faces skepticism from critics of Enova's high-cost lending model.