Law and regulation

So long as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, they don't need to accumulate any capital save the liquidity necessary to fund their operations.

Consumer groups and industry advocates found rare common ground Thursday in recommending that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should push for clearer disclosures to help consumers better compare prices. But a dispute over dealer pricing remains an issue.

Santander Holdings USA entered into a written agreement with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston about managing capital payments after one of its units issued an unauthorized dividend.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has taken a sweeping approach in using its authority to propose supervision of the largest nonbank auto lenders, unveiling a plan that would effectively cover 90% of the market.

During a wide-ranging discussion of the economy and regulation, Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf cited several factors that were harming the housing market. His comments came the same day the White House hosted a meeting on the topic.

Two online payday loan operations in the Kansas City area have been shut down after the CFPB and FTC charged them with bilking more than $36 million from consumers.

A top official from the Financial Stability Oversight Council told House lawmakers on Tuesday that regulators remain open to improvements in transparency, though he did not name specific measures the council is considering.

The House approved a package of Dodd-Frank Act tweaks Tuesday evening, including a closely watched provision to clarify Federal Reserve capital standards for insurers.

Banks and mortgage lenders may have received too much relief from loan buybacks, putting taxpayers at greater risk for losses, according to a Federal Housing Finance Agency inspector general's report.

In his first major policy speech as the new housing secretary, Julian Castro voiced support for a Senate bill to reform housing finance and said policymakers should "remove the stigma associated with promoting homeownership."

The Federal Housing Finance Agency's plan to restrict membership to the Federal Home Loan Bank System could cost lenders hundreds of billions in mortgage funding, according to the CEO of the Chicago FHLB.

The Senate Banking Committee debated a host of regulatory relief issues Tuesday, among them the question of whether examiners are holding small banks to unreasonable standards.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau suit against Corinthian Colleges is the second time the agency has taken public action against a for-profit school rather than a student lender.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has filed a complaint against Corinthian Colleges alleging the for-profit chain of colleges ran a predatory lending scheme and used unlawful debt collection practices.

A federal court in North Carolina ruled against the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s multimillion-dollar loan loss claim against Cooperative Bank.

Bankers can attempt to remedy confusing and ineffective consumer protection laws by assembling a task force of experienced bank attorneys and compliance officers to draft model legislation.

The Federal Housing Administration raised mortgage insurance fees during the financial crisis in order to cover a wave of defaults. Now that the housing market has steadied, the agency should adjust its policies.

U.S. regulators are continuing to send a clear message about global financial services standards forged with other countries: they're not strong enough.

Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor turned bank lobbyist, is backing down from an election-style campaign against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after complaints from the firms he represents.

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