Regulatory relief

Community bankers and state regulators want the FDIC and other agencies to rethink their approach to a simplified capital ratio for smaller institutions.

Credit union executives are hitting the Hill on Wednesday to discuss their concerns with lawmakers as CUNA's Governmental Affairs Conference ends.

Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Jelena McWilliams acknowledged industry concerns with the proposal meant to improve how banks comply with the trading ban.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said "the best place for me to continue fighting for Ohio and for the dignity of workers ... is to stay in the U.S. Senate."

The National Credit Union Administration will return the money to credit unions after having lowered the agency's normal operating level last year.

The central bank is limiting the use of its qualitative objection in this year’s stress tests, the agency announced Wednesday.

The industry cheered the bureau’s proposed repeal of its ability-to-repay requirement, but another part of the rule — on account debit restrictions — was left intact, and some companies aren’t ready to comply.

The interagency panel formed to head off approaching systemic risks must figure out its next move after having undone designations of nonbank firms.

The industry cheered the bureau’s proposed repeal of its ability-to-repay requirement, but another part of the rule — on account debit restrictions — was left intact, and some companies aren’t ready to comply.

A legal memo conducted on behalf of the trade group says the agency’s policy goes beyond statutory intent and places undue restrictions on healthy banks.

The federal banking agencies will not hold a hearing on a proposal to reduce the number of residential real estate transactions that require an appraisal.

Criticism of the National Credit Union Administration is unwarranted given the myriad of abuses banks commit.

Members of both parties want to make it easier for legal cannabis businesses to access financial services, but myriad obstacles stand in the way of that goal.

The agency began seeking comments in December through a "request for information" on how to improve the agency's process for considering new deposit insurance applications.

The bureau wants to further remove the threat of legal liability for firms that test products benefiting consumers, but the attorneys general say the agency cannot provide immunity from state law.

In her first speech as a governor, the former community banker and Kansas state regulator highlighted the strengths of smaller institutions and the banking agencies' tailoring efforts.

Some have suggested the BB&T-SunTrust deal could spur similar ones, but prolonged M&A growth is hardly a sure thing in this political environment.

“The board's record of summarily approving mergers raises doubts about whether it will serve as a meaningful check on this consolidation that creates a new too big to fail bank,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a letter to the Fed.

House Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters said the merger is a direct result of a regulatory relief bill that was signed into law in May.

The combined bank will move into a more demanding supervisory class under the Fed’s regime, but analysts also see a regulatory upside from the deal.