Regulatory relief

There's been a legislative bottleneck since the the crisis-era law went into effect, but Congress has moved forward on a handful of significant changes.

A New Hampshire bank CEO argues that the reform bill awaiting a vote in the Senate will free up community banks to focus more on their customers and less on compliance.

Numerous regional banks stand to benefit from a provision that narrows the scope of institutions defined as "systemically important" under the Dodd-Frank Act.

The Senate legislation would weaken scrutiny of large financial institutions, undercutting Dodd-Frank’s mission to provide tailored oversight across the system.

The Senate is poised to pass the most substantial bank regulatory relief since the crisis, but any disruption of the post-crisis regime is still eclipsed by how much the bill enshrines Dodd-Frank.

The legislation up for debate in the Senate reduces regulatory burdens for midsize financial institutions, a good step forward in amending the Dodd-Frank Act.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., filed a motion on the Senate floor Thursday setting up a potential vote next week on the bipartisan regulatory relief package.

Democrats used a hearing with Fed Chair Jerome Powell to lay the groundwork for an intraparty debate over the merits of the Senate’s regulatory relief bill.

The legislation carves out protections for smaller banks to offer abusive loans to borrowers under the "qualified mortgage" standard, as long as they hold those loans in portfolio.

The interim head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said the agency may allow prudential regulators to take the lead on more supervisory matters to cut down on duplication.

“Why we think we know better or how to protect consumers in your state surprises me,” acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney told a group of state attorneys general. “I don’t think we’ll being do much of that anymore.”

Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo said he is hopeful that a bipartisan deal to roll back certain Dodd-Frank Act regulations will soon have a vote on the Senate floor.

Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting said reform of Community Reinvestment Act regulations is a "key element" of how regulators aim to recalibrate rules a decade after the financial crisis.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg said Tuesday that he is on the fence about whether to serve on the agency's board for the remainder of the year even after he is replaced as head of the agency.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell largely hewed close to his predecessor's positions in his first congressional testimony as the top central banker, but also signaled important changes when it came to paying banks interest on reserves and other topics.

Acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney dismissed concerns by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., about his leadership of the consumer agency while supporting a lighter regulatory touch for credit unions.

Credit union executives talked up a pending regulatory relief effort while endorsing a radical shift in direction by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau during a meeting with President Trump and other top White House officials on Monday.

The Federal Reserve Board's vice chairman for supervision said he did not foresee the agency’s regulatory review as significantly reducing capital levels.

House Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., said House lawmakers are having discussions with the Senate about ways to go further on rolling back Dodd-Frank before the Senate is expected to hold a floor vote.

The clock starts ticking this week on a busy agenda of financial services priorities on Capitol Hill, including passing reforms to Dodd-Frank, overhauling the housing finance system and confirming key regulators.