Law and regulation

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Justice are taking a renewed interest in redlining, the practice of lenders charging more for products or excluding altogether minorities within certain geographic areas — and their findings may be surprising.

WASHINGTON — All 10 Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee sent a joint letter Friday that said they plan to oppose a regulatory relief bill scheduled for a panel vote next week since Republicans have not yet provided legislative language to all members.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including how convenience may help banks beat out Silicon Valley and whether community banks can reduce their regulatory burden on their own.

Bitcoin firms are eager to partner with banks, but they first need to prove that they have left their unruly days behind — and perhaps submit to government oversight.

Fannie and Freddie will have more room to finance affordable rental housing, but it is unclear if it's enough to prevent possible disruptions later this year.

WASHINGTON — Sens. David Vitter, R-La., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., introduced legislation Thursday that would make several changes to the Federal Reserve Board and its powers.

WASHINGTON — Two reports issued Thursday by the Treasury Department's Office of Financial Research suggest regulators have not considered all the potential risks from central swaps clearing and more steps may be needed to mitigate those risks.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and from our social media platforms.

A statement by a foreign regulator that it might penalize banks that drop businesses due to heightened supervisory risk has spooked U.S. institutions who worry domestic agencies could follow suit.

Housing affects too many Americans to simply cast out government involvement, especially where the government-sponsored entities and Ginnie Mae are concerned.

itBit, the startup Bitcoin exchange whose backers include former FDIC chairman Sheila Bair, has become the first digital currency firm to receive a trust charter under New York banking law.

Fannie Mae, the mortgage-finance company operating under U.S. conservatorship, will pay the Treasury Department $1.8 billion after reporting net income of $1.9 billion for the first quarter.

The regulators have spelled it out: If a bank wants relief from onerous compliance requirements, a path to get there is to use simple, basic practices for credit risk management.

Ocwen Financial failed a test to determine whether it had notified borrowers of missing or incomplete documents for loan modifications in a timely manner, according to the national mortgage settlement monitor.

Internal Revenue Service examiners are conducting bank-like exams of virtual currency firms for possible anti-money laundering violations, Financial Crime Enforcement Network Director Jennifer Shasky Calvery said May 6.

Four former officers of Wilmington Trust have been charged with fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission, which accused the bankers of intentionally understating past-due loans in 2009 and 2010. Two of the bankers face criminal charges.

While the penalty is a blow to Ripple Labs, it could have significant implications for the industry at large and its efforts to legitimize itself in the eyes of regulators and banks. Here's how:

Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has virtually no chance of winning the White House, but he will likely force "too big to fail" to be part of the campaign trail.

Senator Bernie Sanders proposed legislation to break up the nation's biggest banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, setting up a contrast with Hillary Clinton as both seek the Democratic presidential nomination.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said that leveraged lending, high-interest debt and elevated stock valuations are all signs of firms engaging in risky loans to boost yield in the zero interest rate environment.