Regulatory reform

The trade group's Annual Report on Credit Unions was released today, focusing on the regulatory burden and the importance of the credit union tax exemption.

During his time as Fed governor, chair-designate Jerome Powell has outlined his views on a host of bank regulatory matters, including the need for regulatory relief, the push for housing finance reform, blockchain and much more.

Growth in loans with higher debt-to-income ratios is reviving focus on a regulatory exemption for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and other federal agencies that back mortgages.

Discussions on a regulatory relief package between the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Banking Committee broke down late Tuesday, but members from both parties remain hopeful they can reach a bipartisan deal.

Mark Calabria, the chief economic adviser to Vice President Mike Pence, said the administration is focused for now on more pressing issues than GSE reform, including addressing housing damage from recent hurricanes.

Discussions on a regulatory relief package between the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Banking Committee broke down late Tuesday, but members from both parties remain hopeful they can reach a bipartisan deal.

In a somewhat surprising decision, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling announced his retirement from Congress on Tuesday, but speculation immediately grew that he could fill a regulatory post.

A GAO determination has effectively nullified a 2013 leveraged lending guidance. But that leaves the future uncertain about what, if anything, regulators will devise to replace it — and how banks should treat such loans in the meantime.

CFPB Director Richard Cordray sent a letter to President Trump Monday asking him to veto a Republican resolution to nullify the bureau's arbitration rule.

If President Trump picks Federal Reserve Board Gov. Jerome Powell as its next chair, it may represent the best of all worlds for bankers — a policymaker who will continue the central bank's monetary policy but be open to regulatory changes.