Regulatory reform

The central bank has drawn mixed reviews for new stress test scenarios and changes to how much banks know about the test beforehand. Its top regulatory official says the enhancements help the post-crisis regime evolve.

The House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing Feb. 26 on "holding credit bureaus accountable" — one of seven hearings scheduled by the panel for the month.

After the State of the Union speech Tuesday night, members of the House and Senate banking committees said they were intent on trying to address the biggest unresolved piece of financial services policy: housing finance reform.

Recent developments give the impression that the administration and lawmakers are in direct competition, but the ultimate framework may rely on coordination from both branches of government.

Absent some policy change, nearly a third of the loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Qualified Mortgage rule in two years.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has published a new "frequently asked questions" tool to help mortgage lenders with TILA-RESPA integrated disclosures compliance.

Just as the Trump administration appears focused on releasing a framework without Congress, the Senate Banking Committee has re-entered the policy fray with a new proposal.

The Senate Banking Committee chairman released an outline for overhauling the U.S. housing finance system more than 10 years after the government put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship.

As policymakers consider administrative reforms to Fannie and Freddie, they must address the problem of capital arbitrage to avoid overleveraging the mortgage system.

Readers weigh in on calls that regulators consider the financial risks from climate change, respond to Trump administration plans to overhaul the housing finance system, consider GOP strategy on the House Financial Services Committee and more.

The new leadership of the House Financial Services Committee appears intent on subjecting Wall Street to a harsher spotlight, but banks shouldn’t be too sure the new minority has their backs, either.

The agency's acting director said he welcomes lawmakers' “insight and perspective” on how to end the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Banks say regulatory relief efforts should go even further, while public interest groups — and even one of the Fed’s regional offices — say the proposals to roll back supervisory standards go too far.

A White House spokeswoman said the administration wants to work with Congress on a housing finance reform plan, providing evidence that changes might not be imminent.

Fixing the housing finance system is "the last piece of unaddressed business from the financial crisis," according to a summary of to-do items released by the Banking Committee's chairman.

The hiring of a former GOP congressional aide suggests the bureau will continue to rely on political appointees in senior positions.

The acting head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency has promised substantial changes for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the exact mechanics and timeline of an administration plan are still a mystery.

Recent comments attributed to the acting head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (who is also comptroller of the currency) have stoked speculation about the Trump administration’s housing finance policy.

The leaders of the biggest U.S. banks are likely to be summoned to face questions from the Financial Services Committee, an early sign that the financial industry will endure tougher scrutiny under a Democratic-controlled House.

Several new members of the House Financial Services Committee with backgrounds in housing could use their experience to address Chairman Maxine Waters' top agenda items.