Banking

A new Republican director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is likely to take immediate action to change certain rules, including the "qualified mortgage" and payday rules, while curbing pending enforcement actions that are considered too harsh on financial firms.

The 60-day-plus mortgage borrower delinquency rate dropped to the lowest point since the recession suggesting that there is still room to broaden credit.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is seeking more information about consumers' experience with free access to credit scores.

Sterling Bancorp in New York is determined to turn Astoria Financial's largely residential operation into a commercial powerhouse. While investors are skeptical, CEO Jack Kopnisky has proven in the past that such an ambitious plan is doable.

During the past year, many have hoped for action from Washington that would alleviate regulatory burden and stem the rapid pace of consolidation. But in the current political environment, that appears increasingly unlikely.

Despite continued growth in national home prices, housing remains more affordable today than long-term benchmarks, according to Black Knight.

Rather than pull up stakes and leave two low-income Mississippi towns at the mercy of payday lenders, Regions Bank donated the branches to a local credit union and kicked in another $500,000 for operating costs.

Capital Corps, led by Steven Sugarman, aims to provide financing to homeowners and small businesses that it believes are overlooked by banks. The firm features several former Banc of California executives.

Serious delinquencies on Federal Housing Administration loans popular among first-time home buyers with affordability constraints have improved this year, but may be reaching a plateau.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency must set fees equal to the cost of capital that private banks hold against similar risk, not just the amount of capital that Fannie and Freddie think are right for themselves.