law-regulation

Reform the CFPB to Better Protect Consumers

07/21/15

On the five-year anniversary of Dodd-Frank, it's time to increase accountability and transparency at the CFPB. Congress should start by passing a bill that would overhaul the agency's organizational structure from a single-director model to a bipartisan, five-person commission appointed by each incoming president.

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Congressional Inaction Puts SBA Lending at Risk

07/21/15

If Congress fails to act swiftly, most lending supported by the SBA will shut down for much of the next two months. This would undermine recent strength in a vital component of the American economy.

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Is the Fed Creating a Monopoly in the Mortgage Market?

07/20/15

As new foreign bank regulations push financial institutions to shed risk-weighted assets, companies like Barclays and RBS are reducing their roles in the mortgage-backed securities market. But reduced competition in this sector is bad for liquidity.

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These Regulatory Changes Would Give Small Banks Breathing Room

07/20/15

Regulators and Congress can take several key steps to ease community banks' burden, from implementing tiered regulation to requiring less frequent call reports. And they should also remember that banks are innocent until proven guilty.

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Are Big-Bank Bailouts a Necessary Evil? Weekly Wrap

07/17/15

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week, including ways to make megabanks pay for their Â"too big to failÂ" subsidy and how banks can help put an end to human trafficking.

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How Banks Can Help Stop Human Trafficking

07/17/15

Financial monitoring is one of the most effective ways to identify human traffickers. That's why it's crucial that banks work closely with law enforcement officials to put a stop to this criminal activity.

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Arbitration Restrictions Could Hurt Consumers

07/16/15

A recent CFPB study lays the groundwork to roll back financial firms' use of arbitration clauses. But rather than protecting consumers, such a measure could wind up forcing people into costly and time-consuming lawsuits.

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'Single Point of Entry' Plan Ensures More Megabank Bailouts

07/16/15

Wall Street's favored bank-resolution strategy would virtually guarantee future bailouts while imposing the costs on taxpayers and ordinary investors. At the very least, the damage can be mitigated with three key reforms.

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The U.S. Needs 'Too Big to Fail' Banks

07/15/15

Nobody wants a big-bank bailout, but compared to the risk of contagion, it's the lesser of two evils.

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Low Inflation Is Still Too High for Bank Depositors

07/15/15

Banks often complain that the Federal Reserve's zero percent interest rate policy has been hard on profits. But they may not be as informed about the long-term negative effects of the Fed's annual inflation target of 2%.

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