WASHINGTON — CUNA and NAFCU are watching the House Financial Services Committee closely today, hoping the panel votes not only to provide regulatory relief for credit unions, but also approves a legislative amendment that could delay implementation of NCUA's risk-based capital rule.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has withdrawn a list of merchant categories, including payday lenders, debt consolidation firms, pornography businesses and others, that it said warranted heightened attention by banks processing their transactions.

Studies of whether big banks enjoy implicit funding subsidies should take into account the effect of post-Dodd-Frank legislation and regulation, write Aaron Klein and Peter Ryan of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Zions Bancorp. in Salt Lake City is planning to raise $525 million in fresh capital to satisfy regulators' concerns about its ability to withstand a severe economic downturn.

LAS VEGAS — NCUA plans to propose a rule to "effectively eliminate" the 5% cap on fixed assets, NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz announced.

LAS VEGAS — NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz reiterated last week that the agency plans to make "significant changes" to its proposed risk-based capital rule, but some industry stakeholders were still skeptical of how the final rule will look, particularly if it isn't reissued for a second comment period.

Although the proposal to add more Home Mortgage Disclosure Act requirements was required by the Dodd-Frank Act, those in the lending industry said they were taken aback by the amount of additional information the CFPB is seeking, arguing it goes way beyond the regulatory reform law.

NCUA's civil money penalties are having the agency's desired effect on late call report filers, according to two credit unions that filed late in April and have paid their fines.

Former Massachusetts Senator Barney Frank unsurprisingly defended the financial reform law, yet also indicated he disagreed with regulators on implementation of some elements and a push by Sen. Elizabeth Warren to restore Depression-era rules separating banking from other industries.

LAS VEGAS — Despite NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz's repeated promises of significant changes that will be made to the agency's proposed risk-based capital rule — most recently at NAFCU's annual meeting here — there's still a lot of anxiety among credit union executives about how the final rule will shake out.

CEO Joe Ficalora says the thrift has ways it can buy time to announce a transformative acquisition or benefit from a change in the definition of what it requires to be a systemically important institution. With OneWest off the table, industry observers wonder if the thrift can find the deal it’s been looking for.

LAS VEGAS — After months of largely negative feedback from credit unions, NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz announced Wednesday that the agency plans to make "significant changes" to its proposed risk-based capital rule.

A highly anticipated government report due to be released July 31 is expected to say big banks received less of a subsidy from the perception that they are "too big to fail." But it remains uncertain whether that would continue to be true in a future crisis or if market conditions change.

WASHINGTON — Top lawmakers on the House Financial Services Committee debated the value of the Dodd-Frank Act in dueling reports on Monday, commemorating the financial reform law's fourth anniversary.

Between the proposed virtual currency regulations in New York and those already established in Texas, the future of Bitcoin would be brighter if more states follow the Lone Star State's example, says one legal expert.

Between the proposed virtual currency regulations in New York and those already established in Texas, the future of Bitcoin would be brighter if more states follow the Lone Star State's example, says Jacob Farber, senior counsel for Perkins Coie LLP.

Top lawmakers on the House Financial Services Committee debated the value of the Dodd-Frank Act in dueling reports on Monday, commemorating the financial reform law's fourth anniversary.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Monday that it is accepting consumer complaints on prepaid cards and other non-bank products such as credit repair services and pawnshop loans.

As the Dodd-Frank law turns four years old, policymakers appear increasingly willing to revisit a key requirement that says banks with $50 billion of assets are systemically risky.

Dodd-Frank encourages the pursuit of financial stability at the expense of economic growth. Congress can fix the problem by amending the law so that regulators are required to balance both goals, writes Paul H. Kupiec of the American Enterprise Institute.