Kate Berry

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a broad policy statement on what constitutes an "abusive" act or practice. Industry has long sought to narrow the definition.

Speaking at a Consumer Bankers Association conference in Las Vegas, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Rohit Chopra said speedy communication channels represent "an opportunity and a risk."

A federal appeals court ruled in favor of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, setting up a court split ahead of a highly anticipated Supreme Court hearing in October. The Fifth Circuit previously ruled that the agency's funding mechanism violates the Constitution's separation of powers doctrine.

The $1.25 trillion-asset Home Loan Bank System collectively issued $303.9 billion in discount notes and bonds last week, with demand tapering dramatically from $111.8 billion on Monday to $21.7 billion by Friday.

Since the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank on March 10, unstable deposit funding has roiled the banking industry. Ideas on how to reestablish confidence include providing a temporary guarantee for all deposits, raising the deposit insurance limit and reviving an expired program that helped quell market panic in 2008.

The system of 11 regional banks issued a combined $137 billion of bonds and discount notes on Tuesday and Wednesday, after selling $112 billion on Monday, the largest single day of issuance in its 90-year history.

There were many red flags before the California bank failed last week. Now the questions are: How did federal and state regulators assess the risks, and what actions did they take in response?

A $13.5 billion advance to Silicon Valley Bank months before its collapse is another sign that the Home Loan banks encourage risk-taking that can burden the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. or even the system itself, critics say.

The crypto-friendly California bank ran into trouble last year following the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the flight of deposits held by crypto companies.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a new report on junk fees and CFPB Director Rohit Chopra spoke at a White House virtual meeting encouraging states to tackle the proliferation of junk fees through legislation.

The Federal Home Loan Banks claim that liquidity in-and-of-itself supports affordable housing, while the Federal Housing Finance Agency seems to think the mission should be more directly tethered to housing.

The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco confirmed Thursday night that Silvergate Bank has "fully repaid" the $4.3 billion it was lent in advances late last year. The bank had said in a regulatory filing that repaying the advances "could result in ... the bank being less than well-capitalized."

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra says the bureau is continuing with its enforcement agenda and that financial firms face risks from the Supreme Court case.

The closely watched case — which goes to the heart of how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau operates — could have a huge impact on consumers, the agency and the many industries it oversees and those it seeks to regulate.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has asked the high court to overrule a lower-court decision that threatens its funding structure. The justices didn't accept the case on Tuesday, but experts say it could still make the cut in the coming week.

Federal Home Loan banks aren't doing enough to address the shortage of affordable housing in the U.S., FHFA Director Sandra Thompson says. Some of their members are instead using advances to manage liquidity and perhaps engaging in crypto-related and other activities that put the Deposit Insurance Fund at risk, she says.

The Federal Home Loan Banks system's primary affordable housing program has not had an in-depth review in more than 12 years, according to a new inspector general report.

Townstone Financial in Chicago had been accused of discriminating against certain consumers by trying to discourage them from applying for home loans. However, a judge ruled that federal law protects only actual applicants.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's data-access rule could create an uneven playing field because banks and credit unions are examined by regulators but hundreds of nonbank fintechs are not.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau expects mortgage servicers to offer streamlined loss mitigation options to borrowers experiencing financial hardship — even if it's not related to COVID-19.