Policymaking

Earlier versions of the bill would have caused bigger changes in how Americans finance home purchases, higher education and retirement. Still, the final legislation will have important effects on borrowing and saving decisions.

The economy is ripe for another downturn in the months or years to come, and banks shouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security.

The credit bureau enraged many with its response to a massive data breach this fall, but closing the company down would ultimately harm consumers.

Top officials at the Internal Revenue Service met with mortgage industry groups this week to discuss possible fixes to the agency’s verification system, which lenders rely on to process mortgage loans.

The House vote moved a sharp reduction in the corporate tax rate for banks and other businesses to within a few steps of becoming law.

The Trump administration has previously signaled that it wants to bring the Office of Financial Research under its control. Now it may have the opportunity to do so.

With tax reform close to the finish line, bankers are still clear winners from the compromise worked out between House and Senate negotiators. But the bill includes some caveats that might give institutions pause.

A House bill would deregulate both domestic and foreign banks that control trillions of dollars of combined assets, reducing financial stability and tying the hands of regulators to reapply heightened standards in the future.

The two Democratic lawmakers sent a letter Monday to the four largest servicing companies asking them to address borrower complaints.

While a robust dialogue about all forms of financial products is critical and regulation to protect consumers is necessary, removing a source of credit for hard-working Americans and eliminating choice should not be the focus of any federal agency.