Law and regulation

Websites critical of a settlement that Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. reached with retailers over so-called swipe fees are misleading and must be corrected, a federal judge said.

MasterCard will vet all Maestro card transactions at U.S. ATMs with fraud-screening software to alleviate the concerns of ATM owners who are not prepared for the card brand’s April 19 liability shift.

The sensitivity now present at the highest levels of the Fed, OCC and FDIC offers great promise to consumers looking to acquire responsible loans from the banking industry.

President Obama met Thursday with chief executives from the largest U.S. banks, including Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, according to a White House official.

The OCC is seeking enforcement powers against the consultants it requires banks to hire, but having such authority may be a limited fix at best.

OpenCoin, Chris Larsen's virtual-currency venture, announced today it has closed funding from several investors, including Bitcoin Opportunity Fund.

Credit card companies, investment advisors and other financial firms will be required to set up programs to flag and deter identity theft, U.S. regulators said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON — The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is asking lawmakers to expand its authority to take enforcement actions against independent contractors that it requires banks to hire.

President Obama unveiled his long awaited budget plan on Wednesday, offering a more detailed look at the financial health of the Federal Housing Administration and introducing several key banking proposals.

The lead Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Maxine Waters, is considering certain changes to the Dodd-Frank Act.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a 45-page compliance guide for small banks and mortgage lenders to better understand how to comply with the "qualified mortgage" rule that requires lenders to ensure borrowers have the ability to repay a loan.

Constraints on fees for arranging loans will encourage car dealers to charge more for other products and services to make up lost revenue.

The only way to put an end to "too big to fail" is to safely unwind banks without a government rescue according to Jeffrey Lacker, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday published a compliance guide for small banks and mortgage lenders to better understand and comply with a rule that requires lenders to ensure borrowers have the ability to repay a loan as well as creates a separate class of loans known as "qualified mortgages."

The top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee said she would consider "discussing areas that require clarification" in the Dodd-Frank Act.

Steve Kandarian, the chairman, president and chief executive of MetLife Inc., had one clear message for regulators on Wednesday: Leave us alone.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM), which is under regulatory orders to tighten internal controls following a record trading last year, will face more sanctions in the coming months, CEO Jamie Dimon said.

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is estimating that the Federal Housing Administration will likely require almost $1 billion in additional funding from the Treasury Department to shore up its capital reserves later this year.

A judge has ruled that Bank of America (BAC) does not have to defend itself against a lawsuit filed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on behalf of a failed bank.

Young families looking to put down roots in a community must be served if we are going to grow our economy and sustain the housing recovery.