Regulatory relief

The Fed board unveiled a proposal Tuesday to standardize how investors owning less than one-quarter of a bank can determine who holds a "controlling" stake and therefore must register as a bank holding company.

Under a new policy, a company subject to a civil investigative demand will learn from the agency about what conduct the probe is targeting and what legal provisions the firm may have violated.

Following the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC signed off on proposed measures to ease resolution planning requirements and tailor supervisory standards for foreign banking companies operating in the U.S.

The administration’s move seems aimed at cutting down on regulation. But broader reviews by the White House under the Congressional Review Act could hinder rules the industry supports.

Despite consensus that regulators should ease so-called “living will” requirements by some degree, critics charge that a proposal by the Fed and FDIC could undo gains in making large banks easier to resolve.

In a roundtable discussion, the heads of four banks called on Congress to move on CRA modernization and address the cannabis conundrum, while dismissing arguments that midsize banks need to merge to stay competitive.

The Trump administration directed independent agencies to submit their pending guidance for review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, a novel procedural hurdle that could slow down policy changes.

Regulators and lawmakers go to great lengths to avoid using the term for reforms in the Trump era, but its meaning is consistent with recent steps to revise and clarify the post-crisis regime.

The regulatory relief bill passed last year eliminated mandatory stress tests for dozens of regional and midsize banks, yet many banks continue running internal tests anyway. Here’s why.

Clayton is the latest to raise concerns about bank loans to highly indebted companies; Wells Fargo’s performance took a hit with its reputation.