Regulatory reform

Sens. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and Martha McSally, R-Ariz., will fill the two GOP vacancies in the new Congress.

The agencies are weighing a plan to reduce the scope of residential real estate transactions requiring an appraisal, but appraisers have warned that the proposal could have consequences.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency advanced the ball last year by collecting public feedback on modernizing the law, but all three federal bank regulators will have to reach consensus on a formal proposal.

With a divided Congress in place, policymakers will face challenges in passing major financial legislation this year. But there are still a number of core issues set to be debated.

No matter how far the Massachusetts Democrat goes in the next presidential race, the financial regulatory issues that she trumpets will be front and center.

After 10 years of conservatorship, the new year could finally usher in big steps toward housing finance reform.

The biggest question is whether new CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger will deviate from the pro-industry policies of her predecessor, or bring continuity.

The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing to examine the outgoing committee chairman's bipartisan GSE reform bill, but lawmakers were already looking ahead.

The process to confirm Mark Calabria as FHFA director could be lengthy, forcing the White House to consider how it will proceed with housing finance reform under Joseph Otting as acting head of the agency.

The expected incoming chair of the House Financial Services Committee told the former acting CFPB chief that he will still be the target of a congressional inquiry despite no longer leading the agency.

The federal banking regulators have proposed allowing more directors and management officials to serve at more than one institution in an effort to provide relief to community banks.

Banks hoping to make working with the cannabis industry easier saw a positive sign this week when Congress removed the prohibition on a less potent substance.

Kathy Kraninger's first official action as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is to reverse course on acting chief Mick Mulvaney's effort to rename it the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, which consumer groups and others had sharply criticized as confusing and costly.

The move is sure to draw criticism from bankers because it would allow credit unions to compete for backing from private investors.

Fabrice Coles, who was the CBC's executive director, will work on consumer and fintech policy issues at the Bank Policy Institute.

The agency rolled out nearly a dozen policy changes, proposals and requests for comment, including an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on brokered funding.

The move is sure to draw criticism from bankers because it would allow credit unions to compete for backing from private investors.

A proposal allowing more lenders to skip outside appraisals could remove a hurdle to quick closings, but appraisers say they could be collateral damage.

As Congress moves closer to its Dec. 21 deadline to keep the government funded, the outlook for more financial services regulatory relief continues to worsen.

The alternative is waiting for state and federal regulators to take steps that could disrupt the flow of capital and put some firms out of business.