Law and regulation

Lenders are relaxing overlays and adjusting pricing to attract more VA business.

American Banker asked readers, BankThink contributors and staff members to recommend books for bankers to take on their summer vacations. Share your own suggestions in the comments section below.

The House approved a bill Monday evening to modify the calculation of certain "points and fees" under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's qualified mortgage rule.

WASHINGTON — A recent Supreme Court ruling concerning a tribal casino and state authorities has sparked a debate about whether the decision could extend to curtailing payday lenders that claim their affiliation with Native American tribes frees them from state and federal consumer protection laws.

Loan reserving is one of the most important decisions in banking. Yet there is no accounting, regulatory or industry numerical guideline for “adequate” levels of the allowance for loan losses.

Federal Reserve Gov. Daniel Tarullo on Monday said a slew of new regulations imposed on the biggest U.S. financial institutions should influence how banks make risky bets.

Lenders are seeking fixes to a proposal by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would allow institutions to repay points and fees that inadvertently exceeded the "qualified mortgage" rule.

A recent Supreme Court ruling concerning a tribal casino and state authorities has sparked a debate about whether the decision could extend to curtailing payday lenders that claim their affiliation with Native American tribes frees them from state and federal consumer protection laws.

Potentially dangerous adjustable-rate mortgages are making a comeback. A few simple reforms could stop the financial industry from repeating the mistakes of the past while offering housing opportunities to low- and moderate-income borrowers.

Financial Services Roundtable CEO Tim Pawlenty discusses the after-effects of Dodd-Frank, the need to find regulatory balance between providing protection and hindering economic activity, concerns over the Johnson-Crapo GSE reform proposal, and more.

The U.S. Treasury Department said it sets limits while allowing the nation's intelligence agencies to access reports that banks file on suspicious or large money moves by customers, including information about Americans.

Wednesday's ruling that a lower court must accept an SEC settlement it viewed as inadequate effectively shackles the courts' ability to restore the rule of law in the financial services marketplace.

A reported $12 billion settlement with federal and state authorities could force Bank of America to take a charge eating up most of its second-quarter profits. After that, the bank may finally get to move on.

Payday lenders are raising the stakes in their pushback on Operation Choke Point with a lawsuit against banking regulators, alleging that "back-room pressure of banks" to dissolve longstanding relationships with payday shops and others is unfairly harming the industry.

The Federal Reserve said Friday that it has appointed Eric S. Belsky to serve as director of its Division of Consumer and Community Affairs.

The battle over a likely criminal plea and fine against French-based BNP Paribas is raising fresh questions not just about "too big to jail," but about the efficacy of cross-border resolution plans for systemically important institutions.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

New York's top banking regulator Benjamin Lawsky is pressing BNP Paribas to dismiss one its top executives as part of settlement negotiations with the U.S. over alleged sanctions violations, according to a person familiar with the matter.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Housing Finance Agency is seeking public comment on the best way to set guarantee fees for loans bought by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Executives at private mortgage insurers expect the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to reduce some fees in the next year, which would make privately-insured GSE loans more competitive with government loans.