News Topic: regulation-reform

The HMDA's reporting requirements should be expanded to include loan performance data along with mortgage origination data so that researchers and policymakers can better understand the state of credit access in the U.S. ... Read full article

A federal judge has dismissed an FDIC lawsuit against directors and officers of a failed North Carolina bank. The ruling has big implications for future cases that seek to hold senior bank management accountable for financial crisis-era failures. ... Read full article

It's time for the Federal Housing Finance Agency to make good on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's funding obligations to two affordable housing programs. ... Read full article

Examiners will not require community banks to adhere to new risk governance standards, but they are likely to expect community bank boards to incorporate the guidelines' fundamental principles into their oversight. ... Read full article

As the industry turns to online-only banking and partnerships with third-party retail distributors, it's getting harder to use geographical boundaries to define the communities that banks serve. That's why the CRA needs an update. ... Read full article

The complexity of the Volcker Rule means that it will be nearly impossible for banks to comply with its requirements within set time framesÂ--and regulators risk wasting a lot of time trying to enforce the unenforceable. ... Read full article

It is tempting to believe we can avoid another crisis by giving regulators additional controls over the financial markets. A more effective approach would be to acknowledge regulators' limits. ... Read full article

Banks are likely to reconsider product strategies associated with minimum balance requirements and earnings credit features as they prepare to comply with Basel III. ... Read full article

The DOJ wants the banks it threatens with litigation to admit accountability, pay hefty penalties and takes steps to satisfy the public thirst for payback. But the financial system would be better served if the bulk of regulation was left to the banking ... Read full article

Bank of America's recent mortgage settlement with the DOJ includes a number of striking admissions about its underwriting and origination process in the run-up to the financial crisis. These facts may provide banks and correspondent lenders facing ... Read full article

Banks have very precise metrics for measuring profits and volatility from normal risk. Shouldn't there be an objective way to measure the extreme risk that can determine whether an institution fails or survives? ... Read full article

A program that moves distressed mortgages out of the foreclosure pipeline can save the FHA and GSEs money and give troubled borrowers a better shot at staying in their homes Â-- but only if it's properly implemented. ... Read full article

The Federal Housing Administration raised mortgage insurance fees during the financial crisis in order to cover a wave of defaults. Now that the housing market has steadied, the agency should adjust its policies. ... Read full article

So long as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury, they don't need to accumulate any capital save the liquidity necessary to fund their operations. ... Read full article

Bankers can attempt to remedy confusing and ineffective consumer protection laws by assembling a task force of experienced bank attorneys and compliance officers to draft model legislation. ... Read full article

A reform intended to reduce risk in the financial system could inadvertently exacerbate future economic downturns. ... Read full article

A recent study suggests that credit card issuers' marketing practices show evidence of racial bias. The good news is that self-tests can help lenders fix fair lending compliance issues, according to Rich Walker of the Winterberry Group. ... Read full article

A lack of formal training programs and insufficient financial and career incentives limit the availability of skilled risk managers. ... Read full article