Law and regulation

The investigation's nickname is "Operation Choke Point," and that seems appropriate, because a noose appears to be tightening around the necks of banks that have ties to online payday lenders.

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J., a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, is preparing to unveil legislation designed to increase public awareness of the Federal Reserve Board's rule-writing process.

South Korea's biggest theft of personal information on credit-card holders prompted dozens of top executives at financial firms including KB Financial Group Inc. to offer to quit this week as a regulatory probe widened.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. filed a lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court in Colorado against nine former executives and directors at United Western Bank, which failed in 2011.

Something resembling deposit insurance for virtual currencies may still be in the distant future. But a growing array of startups is attempting to offer Bitcoin users a similar layer of security to that enjoyed by bank depositors.

While it is easy to vilify Target for its recent data breach, the card networks' refusal to take on real card security makes the retailer a victim along with consumers.

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., a member of the Senate Banking Committee, announced Tuesday that he will run for governor of Louisiana in 2015.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland has reset its governance boards for the year, including naming Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) Chief Executive Kevin Kabat as a director.

Charmian Uy, the U.S. Treasury's chief investment officer for the Trouble Asset Relief Program, details the government's strategy to exit a program that she believes "will be judged favorably over time."

Several more banks have disclosed financial hits because they hold securities that regulators declined to exempt from the Volcker Rule. Many of the bankers are upset because they are taking impairment charges on performing securities.

This is 2014, not 2008. The problem is not subprime mortgage lenders, but a pendulum of federal regulation that has swung to such an extreme that worthy, qualified borrowers are being turned away.

Governor Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman agreed to split the first $163 million of New York's $613 million share of a settlement with JPMorgan Chase (JPM) over mortgage bond sales, according to their offices.

Regulators should create a risk management quality rating that may be used in examinations and deposit insurance pricing. Banks should build capabilities that comprehensively assess the quality of their risk management processes tied to strategic business goals.

On Friday the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency closed the $61.7 million-asset DuPage National Bank in West Chicago, Ill. Its failure is expected to cost the Deposit Insurance Fund $1.6 million.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency took action against bank technology providers BSERV and Fundtech in December, ordering the companies to ensure that their services effectively monitor risk.

IMGCAP(1)]

The Buffalo, N.Y., company still has some goodwill from analysts based on its reputation as a skilled bank buyer, but it has become the poster child for the risks associated with M&A in a tough regulatory environment.

Judges for an appeals court appeared sympathetic Friday to the Federal Reserve Board's defense of its rule capping interchange fees on debit cards, fueling hopes by bankers that the agency will beat back a legal challenge.

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

Webster Financial (WBS) in Waterbury, Conn., reported lower fourth-quarter profit after taking a big charge tied to the Volcker Rule.