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.

The political pendulum appears to be swinging toward significantly lower capital requirements, but that threatens to undo the gains banks made in the wake of the financial crisis.

Momentum is building to replace the hard-target $50 billion asset systemic risk threshold for banks with an indicator test, but it remains unclear whether it will be enough to get Congress to act.

While stress testing can provide valuable insight into the strength and resilience of our financial system, regulators are increasingly acknowledging shortcomings in the post-crisis regime.

Consolidation has led to too few community banks, which is amplified in areas where capital is needed most.

Republicans were able to use an obscure legislative process to overturn a rule that banks and credit unions feared would raise their litigation costs.

For community bankers, the current environment is more challenging than ever, with high regulatory burden and tough competition. Four bank CEOs sat down to discuss the future of the industry, and what they are hoping may change.

Top executives at nineteen regional banks sent a letter to the Senate Banking Committee endorsing a bill that would change the systemically important financial institution threshold from $50 billion in assets to an indicator test.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt said the agency is poised to examine alternatives to how a Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac assess creditworthiness of home buyers, including seeking public comment on the issue later this fall.

In a moment of rare unity, the Independent Community Bankers of America and National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions sent a joint letter to FHFA arguing to stop the GSEs' profit sweep.

Recent regulatory reform activity is a step in the right direction, but the changes envisioned in both a Treasury Department report and a suite of House bills are a mixed bag.