Law and regulation

Eliminating payday lenders would create a void that banks, thrifts, and credit unions cannot or are reluctant to fill. With greater transparency, payday lenders can become a viable partner in the small-cash market.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau needs to improve the efficiency of its program for direct supervision of banks and non-banks, the inspector general at the Federal Reserve, which audits CFPB activities, said.

Tax provision would help distressed homeowners seeking workouts and short sales from being penalized by the IRS.

Former Rep. Barney Frank said regulators are going against congressional intent in their latest risk retention proposal, while former Sen. Chris Dodd acknowledged that their law would need some changes to make it work as envisioned.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has employed unusual practices in its efforts to guide the public's perception of it. They've included funding the trip of a consumer advocate who posed a question from the audience of one of its events and regularly releasing information at midnight to prevent critics from weighing in on the first wave of media coverage.

U.S. agencies trying to ensure the financial system is strong enough to withstand another crisis have settled on one of the last pieces of their regulatory apparatus to limit the size of bank debt, according to two people briefed on the discussions.

Despite efforts to reform the global banking system, the perception that the world's largest financial institutions are "too big to fail" has yet to be eliminated, according to a report issued Monday by the International Monetary Fund.

The Federal Home Loan banks' Office of Finance said members are borrowing more, yet net income for the system fell from the previous year.

Two senior House Democrats are raising concerns about a highly anticipated House Financial Services subcommittee hearing scheduled for Wednesday to examine grievances filed by employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The number of financial complaints filed by consumers increased nearly 80% last year, to 160,000, according to a report released Monday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

WASHINGTON — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Office of Financial Research on Monday reached a deal on a joint project to collect data from registered swap repositories.

Small banks' increased compliance costs could lead to fewer relationship managers, streamlined service models and increased costs of credit. As such, many small business and middle-market customers may simply choose to take their business elsewhere.

To make the process fairer to small banks, regulators should issue community bank summaries during the proposal stage, not when releasing final rules. They also should do more outreach to small banks and extend comment periods on major rules, writes the ABA's Hugh Carney.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. issued two consent orders and terminated 21 enforcement actions in February, according to its latest roundup of regulatory orders.

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

Trading revenue at banks and thrifts fell in the fourth quarter because of weak demand as well as seasonal patterns, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said Friday.

David Williams, the U.S. Postal Service's inspector general, defends a proposal — that the Postal Service should get into banking — that has come under fire from many in the financial industry.

Recent comments by Comptroller of the Currency Thomas Curry, suggesting steps to make large-bank executives accountable for anti-money laundering problems, have reignited the debate over where to direct blame for Bank Secrecy Act violations.

WASHINGTON — Senate Banking Committee leaders said Friday they would hold a panel vote on April 29 to reform the housing finance system.

Top financial executives met Thursday to discuss how their industry can innovate, but most of the discussion focused on a more defensive topic: what banks and the government need to do to stave off mounting cybersecurity threats.