John Heltman is the Washington Bureau Chief for American Banker. John previously edited American Banker Magazine and is the creator of American Banker's narrative podcast Bankshot. He was awarded the Grand Neal, the top honor bestowed by the Jesse H. Neal Awards, in 2019 for his narrative podcast series Nobody’s Home, which examines the economic and social impact of concentrated vacant housing. He was also named the 2019 McAllister Editorial Fellow at Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. He is a 2005 graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland and lives in Baltimore, Md.
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Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt said the agency is poised to examine alternatives to how a Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac assess creditworthiness of home buyers, including seeking public comment on the issue later this fall.
October 23 -
The nonbinding guidance, which followed a nearly yearlong inquiry about industry practices, said consumers should have greater ability to obtain information about their financial data, among other principles.
October 18 -
The Treasury Department is expanding its calls for overhauling regulation of the financial services sector, this time focusing on changes to the most significant rules surrounding securitization and derivatives.
October 6 -
After the FSOC voted to rescind its systemic designation for AIG, it's unclear whether the interagency council will continue to appeal a court ruling overturning MetLife's SIFI designation.
October 2 -
Equifax observed an increasingly well-worn ritual of scandal-ridden firms by jettisoning CEO Richard Smith: apologize, promise to do better in the future, and sacrifice your top executive in the hopes it will ward off action by Congress and regulators.
September 26 -
The Trump administration has implemented an apparent role reversal for the Financial Stability Oversight Council, leaving the true intended role of the post-crisis systemic risk body unclear.
September 25 -
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Wells Fargo’s treatment of customers was “egregious and unacceptable," hinting that more regulatory action was likely.
September 20 -
EU-based banks are citing a U.S. Treasury Department report as reason to slow-walk international regulatory standards.
September 18 -
A mishmash of lawmakers from different parties and committees are wading into the aftermath of Equifax’s megabreach, with some using it to advance their policy agendas while others are calling for possible criminal prosecution.
September 12 -
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen defended post-crisis reforms but allowed that further adjustments may be necessary to reduce adverse effects on small businesses and subprime borrowers.
August 25
