Law and regulation

Bankers may have fallen out of love with the Obama administration, but they're still hoping that its next Treasury Secretary will solve some of their problems.

The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday gave the 19 largest financial institutions the economic variables that will be used to assess a firm's capital strength and resiliency to withstand an economic crisis.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council is looking at three possible reforms to the money market mutual fund industry, building on recommendations from SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro.

Tom Hoenig, a FDIC board member, reiterated his doubts that too big to fail has been eliminated, and offered his prescriptions for strengthening the system.

Capitol Bancorp (CBCRQ) has been fighting for survival for a few years now, but the next month might prove to be its toughest battle.

Dodd-Frank requires the CFPB to encourage financial innovation. The agency's Project Catalyst will colloborate with three alternative companies to gain a better understanding of how to support start-up financial players.

House Republicans issued a report Thursday that blames the failure of brokerage firm MF Global on former Sen. Jon Corzine's leadership of the firm, adding that a lack of coordination among regulators also played a role.

With construction activity, sales, and home prices still well below pre-crisis levels, a revival of U.S. housing sector "still faces significant challenges and the benefits remain quite uneven," Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said Thursday.

The lender said it has committed $500 million to refinance underwater borrowers and has fulfilled its obligation to provide relief in Florida and California.

Sheila Bair may advocate a lifelong commitment for examiners, but given existing rules, the fears of potential conflicts of interest should be more hypothetical than real.

The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday announced six new law enforcement actions, the first cases brought under the FTC’s updated Business Opportunity Rule, which requires business opportunity sellers to provide specific information to help consumers evaluate a business opportunity, and provides a simple, one-page disclosure form.

New guidance from the government may help banks and other financial institutions avoid running afoul of anti-bribery laws.

Central banks are operating under an additional mandate beyond that of setting monetary policy: to regulate the largest, systemically important institutions. Here are five principles for doing that job well.

The election is over. Dodd-Frank is here to stay. It's time for bankers and regulators to get on with compliance and implementation, writes Editor-at-Large Barbara Rehm. She'd like to see an appointment for the director of the Office of Financial Research, stronger bank boards and leeway for examiners to go with their guts.

WASHINGTON — Bank and credit union regulatory agencies issued additional guidance late Wednesday endorsing "prudent efforts" by financial institutions to aid customers affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Regulators pledged Wednesday to heed concerns of community banks and ensure that a final rule implementing Basel III capital and liquidity requirements does not harm smaller institutions.

Liberal blog Daily Kos has collected more than 63,000 signatures for an online petition asking Senate leadership to put Elizabeth Warren on the banking committee.

Cathleen Nash lays out Citizens Republic's reasons for selling itself to FirstMerit, and says she expects many more banks to face the same tough choice.

With financial institutions worried the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will hinder business innovation, the agency on Wednesday argued that one of its mandates is the exact opposite.

The New York Democrat, a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, has secured his role as vice chair of the Democratic conference and chair of the Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Center for another term.