Law and regulation

As horrifying cyberattack scenarios grow more plausible, an American Bankers Association simulation of a hypothetical breach at a $10 billion-asset bank is designed to guide institutions through a set of crisis response steps.

In light of a recent op-ed about pawnbrokers denied banking services, it's worth reiterating that the FDIC encourages banks to assess individual businesses for risk rather than declining to provide services to entire categories of customers.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice has "hijacked" the Federal Housing Administration home loan program in efforts to punish lenders that don't make perfect loans, according to Quicken Loans chief executive Bill Emerson.

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.

In another escalation of Quicken Loans' ongoing clash with the government, the Department of Justice on Thursday filed a lawsuit alleging shoddy underwriting by the company.

The proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis is urging Bank of America shareholders to vote to support a proposal that would force the nation's second-largest bank to fully disclose its lobbying expenses and activities.

House lawmakers approved two bills this week to foster greater information sharing between the private sector and government about cyber threats — and all eyes now turn to the Senate to see if legislation can finally be enacted.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Housing Finance Agency is sticking to its schedule and moving quickly to finalize proposed financial requirements for nonbank firms that service Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans.

Regulators recently penalized a mortgage firm for keeping a file of licensing-test questions to prep exam takers, the first public challenge to what is believed to be a hushed, but longtime, industry practice.

Bill Emerson, chief executive of Quicken Loans, said at a recent conference that the threat of government probes and a lack of regulatory clarity are making FHA lending less attractive.

Deutsche Bank AG was ordered to pay a record $2.5 billion fine and fire seven employees to settle U.S. and U.K. investigations into its role in rigging Libor.

WASHINGTON — There is a disturbing lack of data on the repo and securities lending markets that could mask a buildup of activity by nonbank lenders, according to a report published Thursday by the Office of Financial Research.

Banking regulators will never conclude that regulation is actually hurting community banks until they study the issue and come to that conclusion on their own.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's enforcement attorneys have pulled back on new investigations in order to clear out a slew of pending cases, according to multiple current and former officials at the agency.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's enforcement attorneys have pulled back on new investigations in order to clear out a slew of pending cases, according to multiple current and former officials at the agency.

WASHINGTON — House lawmakers clashed this week over a bill making changes to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would cap the agency's budget in coming years.

As banks have largely ceded the market for government-backed loans to nonbank lenders and servicers, it's fallen on Ginnie Mae to be sure that these nonbanks can meet their obligations to bondholders. It's a huge concern for President Ted Tozer, who says the company does not have the resources or manpower to examine these firms' finances.

The House is preparing to vote on two cybersecurity bills this week, kicking off the latest push to improve information sharing between private companies and the government about potential attacks and threats.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt just made one of the biggest policy decisions of his 14-month tenure — but so far it has hardly caused a ripple on Capitol Hill.

Bank of America was fined 13.3 million pounds ($20 million) by the British markets regulator for failing to properly report millions of transactions, the highest such penalty imposed by the U.K. to date.