Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook said in a speech Monday the central bank is monitoring record highs in the stock market to see if it proves to be a bubble.

The Federal Reserve's vice chair for supervision says the board is discussing ways to address the various concerns banks have raised about the capital reform proposal.

The FDIC's newly unveiled policy statement on bank mergers could add strain to an already bleak outlook for mergers in the banking industry, particularly for larger banks.

The change, which goes into effect April 1, delays when certain banks would have to change their assessment areas until 2026.

The blockbuster merger is now in the hands of banking agencies and the Department of Justice, which will have to evaluate its impact on competition.

Top supervisory staffers from the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency defended their involvement with the Basel Committee during a contentious hearing in the House Financial Services Committee Thursday.

The FDIC proposed a new policy to intensify scrutiny on U.S. bank mergers Thursday that emphasizes the resulting institutions' financial stability and ability to serve its community's needs.

The questions about whether the Home Loan banks receive a public subsidy has been settled. All that remains is for lawmakers to take steps to redirect that subsidy toward public benefits rather than corporate profits.

At an American Bankers Association event, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who's up for reelection this year, said that he hopes the Durbin-Marshall credit card bill won't go anywhere and criticized the Federal Reserve's debit interchange proposal.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said at the Federal Open Market Committee press conference Wednesday that a slower pace of reduction could help the central bank avoid shrinking its holdings further without disrupting the banking system.