
Victoria Finkle
BankThink EditorVictoria Finkle is deputy Washington bureau chief and editor of American Banker's op-ed blog, BankThink.

Victoria Finkle is deputy Washington bureau chief and editor of American Banker's op-ed blog, BankThink.
At a hearing Tuesday, GOP lawmakers hammered FHFA Director Mel Watt for four hours over his recent decisions to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy loans with lower downpayments and provide money to two affordable housing trust funds.
The Senate approved legislation to reauthorize the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, sending it to President Obama's desk after a months-long battle.
With Republicans now controlling both chambers of Congress and signals from Democrats that they are open to alterations, revisions to Dodd-Frank are at the top of the agenda in addition to other subjects, like terrorism insurance and housing finance reform.
Only eleven months after cheering Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Melvin Watt's confirmation, Senate Democrats are fed up with the pace of reforms at the agency.
Federal prosecutor Loretta Lynch may soon replace Attorney General Eric Holder, leaving bankers wondering whether she will be tougher on institutions than her predecessor.
WASHINGTON Two key Democrats are asking the Government Accountability Office to investigate the financial stability of nonbank mortgage servicers and potential harms to borrowers.
Rep. John Delaney said Tuesday that he's "optimistic" Congress could take up reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac next term, despite the political difficulties lawmakers have faced in getting legislation approved over the past two years.
Community bankers are launching a last-ditch effort to push the Senate this year to pass more than a dozen bipartisan regulatory relief bills that have already cleared the House with support from both parties.
The Justice Department's recent $16.6 billion deal with Bank of America over crisis-era mortgage fraud has raised fresh questions over a perceived lack of transparency in the settlement process.
Sen. Richard Shelby isn't new to Banking Committee leadership, but he would face a crucial ticking clock if he returns as chairman of the panel next year.
Sen. Sherrod Brown may give the country's biggest banks heartburn, but there are signs he's positioning himself as an industry ally ahead of a potential bid to run the Banking Committee.
Reps. John Delaney, D-Md., John Carney, D-Del., and Jim Himes, D-Conn., introduced a new housing bill Thursday designed to provide an explicit government backstop for the market but still increase private sector participation.
The Senate Banking Committee approved Julian Castro, the mayor of San Antonio, on Wednesday to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The House Financial Services Committee approved legislation Friday to extend and modify the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act.
A proposal to extend and modify the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act divided the House Financial Services Committee down party lines on Thursday, and signaled the battle lines that are likely to arise when the issue is worked out between the House and Senate.
Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas, introduced a new plan Tuesday to modify and extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act.
The House approved a bill Monday evening to modify the calculation of certain "points and fees" under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus qualified mortgage rule.
The Senate Banking Committee approved legislation Tuesday to extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, a program due to expire at yearend. It also considered making a legislative fix to the Dodd-Frank Act. Heres what happens next.
The Senate Banking Committee approved a bill Tuesday to reauthorize the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act for seven years.
A battle over social media about how well the current housing finance system treats African-Americans and other minorities has spurred a critical discussion about racial disparities in the mortgage market.