Law and regulation

In a speech Tuesday, U.S. Bank Chief Executive Officer Richard Davis also offered mostly upbeat views about the evolving, more stringent expectations of bank regulators.

Esther George, president of the Kansas City Fed, highlighted the shortcomings of banking regulation, especially as applied to community banks, and said the "pendulum has swung too far" on consumer protection.

RentTrack and TransUnion have partnered to ensure renters "get the credit they deserve for on-time monthly payments."

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Director Jennifer Shasky Calvery pushed back again Tuesday against the idea that reports filed by bankers are not used by law enforcement officials.

Rep. John Delaney said Tuesday that he's "optimistic" Congress could take up reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac next term, despite the political difficulties lawmakers have faced in getting legislation approved over the past two years.

Speaking at American Banker's Regulatory Symposium, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Vice Chairman Thomas Hoenig said complex firms should not discount regulators' warnings of heightened supervision if their 2015 resolution plans fail to impress.

The Federal Reserve is tracking the competitive climate among community banks, including the dearth of new charter activity. Key officials also used opening remarks at the Fed's community banking conference to outline ways they are trying to improve communication with bankers.

In a broad-ranging Q&A at American Banker's Regulatory Symposium, Comptroller of the Currency Thomas Curry questioned the asset threshold used to subject larger banks to enhanced rules, and discussed examiners' concerns about the "culture" at banks.

There were fewer institutions originating mortgages in 2013, while low- and moderate-income borrowers took a smaller share of industry volume, according to the recently released Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data.

Mortgage underwriting overlays are not only tighter than they were precrisis, they're more restrictive than they were 15 years ago — a trend that Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro wants to change.

Wells Fargo agreed to pay $5 million to settle U.S. regulatory claims that its brokerage unit failed to prevent an employee from trading on nonpublic information related to the 2010 acquisition of Burger King.

Rebeca Romero Rainey, the CEO of Centinel Bank of Taos, will use part of her speech at a Federal Reserve conference on small banks this week to discuss the need for regulatory relief and her belief that community bankers have a duty to persevere under difficult circumstances.

A panel at American Banker's Regulatory Symposium about the Department of Justice program featured a spirited debate about whether it is prudently fighting fraud or cooling banks' relationships with legal businesses.

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Charles Plosser, who votes on policy this year, will retire after eight years in which he became a consistent critic of the central bank's unprecedented easing.

There is a good chance legislation that would provide regulatory relief to small banks and address concerns about which banks are dubbed systemically important could be wrapped in the same Senate bill next year, experts said at American Banker's 4th Annual Regulatory Symposium.

Regulators are developing joint standards for cybersecurity, testing special exam procedures and helping banks assess their own readiness, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg said at American Banker's 4th Annual Regulatory Symposium. That's a good thing because community bankers said they need a lot of help.

A reform intended to reduce risk in the financial system could inadvertently exacerbate future economic downturns.

Janet Yellen's tenure as Fed chair could open more doors for women in the C-suite. It also sends a powerful message to younger generations: math and economics are cool.

Industry groups have urged the bank regulators to implement more wholesale changes in the second review mandated by a 1996 law, saying the outcome of the first review was disappointing.

As regulators emphasize the importance of data integrity, chief data officers need to consider new strategies to ensure that all bank employees are on the same page about improving information quality.