Regulatory reform

Lawmakers from both parties asked experts Tuesday if institutions with less than $10 billion of assets should be exempt from Dodd-Frank regulations, signaling a possible bipartisan compromise.

Richard Hunt of the Consumer Bankers Association on reg reform, the chances for a Durbin rollback and more.

Suspending Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's regular dividend payments to the Treasury, thus enabling the companies to replenish their reserve capital, would put their future on better footing.

House Republicans’ failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act — an issue that has animated the party caucus since its passage in 2010 — has thrown into question their ability to enact regulatory relief.

The Trump administration’s interest in reinstating barriers between commercial and investment banking is sparking conversations about what such a proposal would entail.

American Banker readers share their views on the most pressing banking topics of the week. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of AmericanBanker.com articles and our social media platforms.

The groups and industry trade associations want the Treasury Department and the FHFA to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to build up capital reserves.

Implementation of the second phase of the common securitization platform had been projected for next year, but the anticipated time frame was delayed following "lessons learned" from the first phase.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told a meeting of bankers not to focus on credit unions' tax exemption in talks with lawmakers, saying the two industries should unite over regulatory reform.

U.S. Rep. Denny Heck – one of the few members of Congress to have worked in a credit union – is cheering legislation that could ease the process for chartering new CUs, but bemoaned that such legislation could also gut the consumer protections in Dodd-Frank.

Though it's too early to have a concrete plan regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the administration is creating a set of principles that it hopes to release in a few months.

Banking regulators on Tuesday called for a raft of regulatory changes, including streamlining capital, reporting and appraisal rules in order to reduce compliance burden.

As the House Financial Services Committee prepares for a hearing on the struggles of chartering new financial institutions, CU observers debate whether or not the credit union movement – amid an ongoing trend of industry consolidation – actually needs any new entrants.

Community bankers want a two-year span between exams for small banks in good standing. Regulators, however, are reluctant to revert to pre-crisis policies.

Financial institutions see their best chance to repeal interchange debit fee caps, but merchants are confident they can prevent Congress from taking up the issue again.

FDIC Vice Chairman Thomas Hoenig's plan to allow large institutions to separate their core banking activities from their investment activities could allow the Trump administration a way to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act.

The Treasury Department announced the appointment of four new senior staff members late Friday.

In his meeting with community bankers, President Trump openly pondered the fate of CFPB Director Richard Cordray with his advisers and appeared eager to quickly fix industry concerns through executive orders.

President Trump met with community bankers on Thursday to highlight executive actions he has taken to provide regulatory relief to the industry and promote job growth.

Using stress tests as the capital benchmark in a reformed regulatory system could enable some forms of relief, but other rules should remain in place to ensure financial stability.