Racial bias

Any regulator or bank should build from a foundation of diversity, dignity and respect, says Grovetta Gardineer, the agency's head of national bank supervision policy.

The bar to prove discriminatory patterns is so high that plaintiffs would have slim odds of winning lawsuits against housing providers.

The agency’s report on mortgage data submitted by lenders identified persistent disparities between white borrowers and minorities in denial rates and pricing. Some observers say the bureau should have been more explicit as the nation wrestles with systemic racism.

The final version of the amended rule, like the original proposal, makes fair-lending claims tougher to prove. But it does soften language that otherwise might have allowed mortgage companies to use algorithms to prove nondiscrimination.

Bank of America announced how it plans to spend a third of its $1 billion commitment to address racial and economic inequities and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in communities of color.

Larry Sewell has also pledged to continue a series of industrywide conversations on race relations.

Piedmont Federal Savings is working with historically Black colleges and universities to hire and train prospective commercial lenders and managers who better reflect the community it serves.

Political donations from the sector and interviews with industry experts highlight a wide range of views on affordable housing resources, the appropriate level of regulatory relief and how policymakers should enforce fair housing rules.

The Federal Reserve could ease capital rules, foster the creation of special-purpose banks and take other steps to strengthen minority communities and businesses without legislation being sought in Congress — if it has the will to do so, experts say.

The CFPB is giving stakeholders until Dec. 1 to file comments on a potential overhaul to its rules related to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prohibits discrimination in credit and lending decisions.