Law and regulation

Sheila Bair said Tuesday that the Senate should confirm Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Bankers and companies including JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup praised landmark Supreme Court decisions that expanded federal benefits and struck down some restrictions on same-sex marriage.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday advised banks and other financial companies how to respond to an investigation to minimize the risk of punishment.

Bank investors will be able to assess which lenders are over-reliant on debt starting in 2015, under plans from global regulators to curb financial firms' addiction to borrowing to fuel their activities.

Banks and regulators have proposed bail-in mechanisms for capital plans. Exposing creditors to losses could help protect taxpayers and depositors, but is long-term debt an adequate substitute for equity?

Reverse stress tests, effective board oversight and incentive programs that encourage caution curb the tendency to accept excessive risk in the pursuit of business objectives.

Bank of America and Barclays are among more than a dozen banks sued by the Regents of the University of California over claims they manipulated of the London Interbank Offered Rate.

The Federal Reserve Board has terminated a written agreement with Farmers Bank in Ault, Colo. The May 2010 pact obligated the $232 million-asset bank's directors to strengthen oversight of management.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau gave banks and nonbanks four tips on how to minimize the risk that its investigations blow up into an enforcement action.

Sens. Bob Corker and Mark Warner on Tuesday introduced their much-discussed proposal for reforming the mortgage finance market. The effort has continued to win plaudits from fellow lawmakers, regulators and the industry.

Freddie Mac is preparing to market mortgage securities that will share with investors the risk homeowners don't repay their government-backed loans, according to a person with knowledge of the plans.

Senate Banking Committee members pressed regulators Tuesday about the extent of industry efforts to gain greater flexibility in modifying or delaying repayment of troubled student loans.

Replacing Fannie and Freddie with a federal catastrophic reinsurance agency is smart. Putting the wrong leader (like a politician) in charge of the new mortgage agency would be disastrous.

Filling this increasingly prevalent and critical position presents the perfect opportunity for a bank to bring a female executive into its C-suite.

The Supreme Court is set to hear the Noel Canning v. National Labor Relations Board case, which calls into question several recess appointments President Obama made last year. The Supreme Court's decision on the Canning case could have a significant impact on Richard Cordray, who was recess appointed as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on the same day that NLRB appointments were made.

Cyber-security has long been a technology and risk management challenge for banks. Recently, Washington policymakers have come to regard it as one of the most pressing issues financial institutions face.

Recapitalizing Fannie and Freddie while making sure they behave well is a path with far fewer risks of missteps and potential damage to the economy.

The Supreme Court announced Monday it would hear a case that calls into question President Obama's recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board.

Global banks' profits and lending will be hurt by Basel III capital rules as lower borrowing costs push companies away from loans to the bond market, the London-based Loan Market Association said.

Volcker rule threatens to wreak havoc on foreign banks, Milbank Tweed's Douglas Landy writes.