Trump

A week after President Trump demanded a 10% cap on credit card interest rates, top executives at big banks protested the idea in blunt terms.

Federal Reserve Gov. Stephen Miran said he doesn't "really buy" the view that a potential indictment of Fed Chair Jerome Powell would affect the central bank's monetary policy.

President Trump Tuesday told reporters he would not delay announcing his pick to fill a new vacancy on the Federal Reserve Board despite threats from Republican Senators to block any Fed nomination until a recently-disclosed Justice Department investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell is resolved.

Financial markets took a tumble Monday morning after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced that he was the subject of a Justice Department inquiry concerning the central bank's headquarters renovation. Lawmakers and former Fed officials decried the move as political intimidation.

Analysts say credit card companies could face a major hit to earnings, while banks would also be under pressure.

The American Bankers Association and other groups contend the president's plan to cap credit card interest rates at 10% would drive consumers toward less regulated, more costly alternatives.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank has been served grand jury subpoenas and been threatened with criminal indictment, moves he called "pretexts" to influence interest rates through "political pressure or intimidation."

Acting CFPB Director Russell Vought agreed to request $145 million in funding from the Federal Reserve, yielding to a court order to avoid a contempt citation.

The Senate allowed the nomination of a permanent director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to lapse, giving acting Director Russell Vought more time to lead the agency on a temporary basis.

The Federal Reserve will resume accepting pennies from banks and credit unions at all commercial coin distribution locations beginning Jan. 14. The central bank had ceased accepting pennies at some distribution centers late last year, but bankers praised Thursday's reversal.