Law and regulation

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Wednesday that it was seeking comment on a so-called "safe student account scorecard" that colleges could use to see how banks structure the fees, features and "sales tactics" of financial products to students before forming a partnership.

Federal bank regulators will gather feedback on regulatory relief ideas at a public meeting on Feb. 4 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the agencies said Wednesday.

The Federal Reserve's regular economic snapshot showed a moderate but consistent increase in credit quality and demand for banking services nationwide, though the report noted that sources of demand were highly variable and major financial stresses remained in some regions.

A federal agency's plan to tighten membership rules for Federal Home Loan banks would hurt community banks and credit unions — and could endanger the financial system, according to a broad array of stakeholders, including state regulators, lawmakers and institutions.

House lawmakers approved a package of financial services bills on Wednesday, including a controversial delay of the Volcker Rule, despite strong opposition from key Democrats.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is considering releasing a tool that would show schools exactly how much financial institutions will charge borrowers for providing certain account services on campus.

The agency appears to be on the verge of reining in lawsuits that have cost banks hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years.

Regardless of the outcome, MetLife's decision to fight the Financial Stability Oversight Council's ruling that the insurer is "systemically important" will have serious implications for the council's ability to rein in nonbanks.

Capital markets hold the key to the future for the consolidating Wall Street landlords, but the path through is downright bloody.

Regulators want banks to police MSBs for illicit activity, but they do not view all such businesses as high-risk, said David Cohen, Treasury's top AML official.

Lenders and homebuyers should not expect further reductions in Federal Housing Administration's mortgage insurance premiums this year, according to Housing and Urban Development secretary Julian Castro.

As banks look to cuts costs and improve efficiency, many are actively trying to reduce the number of times they "touch" a loan file. The goal: get the application right the first time so it doesn't have to be sent back to the underwriter for time-consuming and costly fixes.

President Obama signed into law a six-year extension to the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act on Monday night, putting to rest months of debate over the program.

The White House rolled out several more cybersecurity provisions on Tuesday, including a proposal to better coordinate information sharing between the government and the private sector around cyberattacks and emerging threats.

The CFPB should receive its funding from Congress rather than the Federal Reserve in order to increase its accountability. Lawmakers should also take steps to limit the power accorded to the agency's director.

The Supreme Court gave homeowners more ability to cancel their mortgages if lenders don't provide the required disclosures, in a setback for the banking industry.

The insurance provider MetLife said it will file a lawsuit Tuesday to challenge its designation as a systemically important financial institution, arguing the Financial Stability Oversight Council erred in making the determination.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is launching a toolkit on Tuesday that will help consumers shop for a mortgage by finding the best rates in their area based on data the agency gathers from lenders.

Freddie Mac in the next month plans to approve three more lenders, including one bank, to make multifamily loans between $1 million and $5 million for GSE purchase and securitization, according to an official. Banks were not initially courted.

Lazard Ltd.'s Antonio Weiss has withdrawn from consideration to be Treasury undersecretary for domestic finance as his nomination ran into opposition from Democrats in the Senate.