Law and regulation

Subprime mortgages are likely to become harder to make and more expensive to sell in the secondary market based on the new qualified mortgage rule.

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) is toasting the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for agreeing to examine the economic benefit that megabanks derive from their too-big-to-fail status.

By downgrading the CRA rating of JPMorgan Chase, the OCC demonstrated it is capable of holding a major bank accountable for a deplorable record of serving the credit needs of low- and moderate-income communities.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released its final rule on Thursday, establishing new standards for all mortgages.

In speech to California bankers, comptroller indicates 'Volcker' trading ban and securitization rules could be completed soon.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released its final rules restricting fees and lump-sum payments for certain high-cost loans on Thursday.

"Despite widespread fears by lenders that a 800-page rule released Thursday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would end mortgage lending as we know it, the final regulation appeared to be significantly less onerous than many expected," writes American Banker's Rachel Witkowski.

The CFPB's final Qualified Mortgage rule exacerbates our dependence on the GSEs and FHA, potentially harms a large swath of potential borrowers and severely handicaps the market’s ability to effectively serve customers.

Regulators may be getting ready to order JPMorgan Chase to bolster its safeguards against money laundering.

There must be a concerted effort to open the way to successful homeownership to more Americans. This should include encouraging shorter-term mortgages so low down payment borrowers build equity faster.

While consumer groups were unhappy, lenders were pleased that the definition of qualified mortgages was so broad and that banks were given a safe harbor for prime loans.

Unlimited TAG insurance of noninterest-bearing deposits ended with 2012. Any shifting of cash from banks to money market funds has been modest so far.

The CFPB released rules Thursday that ban certain fees for modifying high-cost loans and expand the universe of loans protected by federal limits.

Five Senate Democrats are urging bank regulators to end payday-like lending.

The White House officially nominated Jacob Lew as Treasury secretary, after widespread speculation that Lew would get the nod.

Acquirers consider the Payment Card Industry data security standards slightly more important as a source of revenue than as an approach to security, new survey data indicates.

The checklist for routine maintenance on the three automated teller machines owned by First Community Bank and Trust of Beecher, Ill., contains one head-scratching item: the maintenance worker is regularly required to take a photo of the machine to keep on file at the $147 million-asset bank as a defense in potential lawsuits. Now Greg Ohlendorf, the bank's chief executive officer, can cross that mundane task off the list.

Donna Goodrich, new chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, promises to represent banks of all sizes — not just bigger ones like BB&T — and says FHLBs could be pivotal to housing reform.

Enterprise Financial in St. Louis, Mo., has fully exited the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

The Federal Reserve Board has lifted a memorandum of understanding against First M&F (FMFC) in Kosciusko, Miss.