Policymaking

Blackwell, the longtime Washington bureau chief, will succeed Marc Hochstein, who is leaving the company in September.

It is reasonable to rethink the role of state usury laws in national credit markets, but there should not be any erosion of consumer protections.

Republicans are already accusing CFPB Director Richard Cordray of misusing his job as a fundraising platform while many agency allies want him to stay.

With the deadline for a federal-debt-limit renewal nearly a month away, bankers are dreading the prospect of higher funding costs, strained liquidity, weaker commercial loan demand and other ramifications if Washington does not act.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued a proposal Wednesday that would raise the appraisal threshold for CRE loans to $400,000 from $250,000.

Not only did Walmart's bid for an industrial loan company galvanize bankers, it also turned the ILC world upside down.

The banking industry had mostly good news in the FDIC's Quarterly Banking Profile, with higher profits helped by interest income. But there were worrying signs too, including a big jump in credit card chargeoffs.

Contrary to the view of some, technology has not rendered the Community Reinvestment Act obsolete. But everyone seems to agree that it should be reformed.

Higher net interest income and modest growth in expenses helped boost bank earnings by 10.7%, the FDIC said in its Quarterly Banking Profile.

The Republican push to lower the corporate tax rate is already having an impact on banks and other investors in low-income housing tax credits.