Politics

The Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. issued a final rule Tuesday that softens leverage demands for the biggest and most systemically risky banks and lowers the community bank leverage ratio to 8%.

New guidance from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released Monday afternoon would streamline Bank Secrecy Act exams for community banks. The agency issued a separate request for information on consolidation and contracting power among core service providers.

The binary charter rules that separate banks and nonbanks are no longer fit for purpose in a financial services industry where a broad array of companies offer banklike services. A new set of diverse charters is needed.

Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould said in an exclusive interview with American Banker Monday that regulators must bring more new entrants into the banking industry, establish a level playing field between banks and fintechs, and shore up supervision amid mounting legal scrutiny.

GOP lawmakers say current thresholds subject regional lenders to overly stringent oversight designed for Wall Street giants

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said in its Quarterly Banking Profile report for the third quarter that bank earnings hit 2025 highs as falling provision costs, wider margins and steady credit quality lifted industry profitability.

Former U.S. Bank veteran files for a de novo charter to launch VALT Bank, a tech-heavy business lender targeting 'digitally demanding' small businesses.

If the loophole in the GENIUS Act isn't closed, the flow of money into stablecoins will wind up reducing the Community Reinvestment Act funding that many underserved communities rely on for development.

Federal Reserve Gov. Stephen Miran reiterated his view that monetary policy has become more restrictive than economists think, but expressed increased urgency that the central bank take strong corrective action.

Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook, citing several studies, outlined her concerns Thursday that generative AI could be used to manipulate markets, and regulators have not yet thought through how to police such activity.

The head of the Managed Funds Association takes issue with a recent column calling for stricter oversight of nonbank financial institutions.

The economy added an unexpectedly robust 119,000 jobs in September, though unemployment edged up to 4.4%. The report, delayed by the federal government shutdown, continues a trend of sluggish job growth in recent months.

House Financial Services Committee Chair French Hill, R-Ark., said he wants to consider a range of ideas on how to improve deposit insurance and other issues facing community banks beyond a Senate bill raising insurance for business accounts.

Federal Reserve Gov. Stephen Miran argues that banks holding excess reserves are keeping the central bank's balance sheet bigger than it should be, and suggested that regulatory changes could help bring those reserves down.

Travis Hill's nomination to lead the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was recommended favorably by the Senate Banking Committee to the full Senate Wednesday morning in a 13-11 party-line vote.

President Trump has nominated Stuart Levenbach, associate director of the Office of Management and Budget, to be the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. His selection allows acting CFPB Director Russell Vought to remain in place for at least another 210 days.

The proposal to push up some federal deposit insurance coverage to $10 million per account would encourage banks to take excessive risks while leaving consumers with the bill.

Witnesses and lawmakers at a House Financial Services Committee hearing gave a more downcast view of a Senate deposit insurance reform proposal, with many House committee members expressing cost concerns.

An October staff memo from the Federal Reserve's Division of Supervision and Regulation outlines changes to how supervisory activities will be carried out, including a greater emphasis on relying on examinations conducted by state banking supervisors.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued an interpretive letter Tuesday that would allow banks under its jurisdiction to hold small amounts of network tokens to test and process customer transactions.