Regulatory relief

In a somewhat surprising decision, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling announced his retirement from Congress on Tuesday, but speculation immediately grew that he could fill a regulatory post.

CFPB Director Richard Cordray sent a letter to President Trump Monday asking him to veto a Republican resolution to nullify the bureau's arbitration rule.

If President Trump picks Federal Reserve Board Gov. Jerome Powell as its next chair, it may represent the best of all worlds for bankers — a policymaker who will continue the central bank's monetary policy but be open to regulatory changes.

Republicans were able to use an obscure legislative process to overturn a rule that banks and credit unions feared would raise their litigation costs.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created in part to ensure that nonbanks are subject to federal oversight, but the fact is that 99% of banks are exempt from CFPB supervision.

Lawmakers like Sen. Tim Scott may feel differently about some elements in a Senate regulatory relief bill depending on whether CFPB Director Cordray is remaining in office until his term expires in July.

The need to raise the U.S. debt limit, pass a budget, provide relief for victims of Hurricane Harvey and enact flood insurance and tax reform will dominate the remaining legislative calendar this fall.

Lenders will not have to report data on open-ended home equity lines of credit in 2018 or 2019 if they originated fewer than 500 HELOCs the preceding year, the bureau said.

Financial regulation is too complex and needs to be retooled to improve access to credit, President Trump’s nominees to two top banking regulators told Capitol Hill on Thursday.

Fed Vice Chair-nominee Randal Quarles will likely face questions about his support for small banks, while Comptroller-nominee Joseph Otting must face fallout from his predecessor.

Federal regulators issued a proposal Tuesday that would increase the threshold at which commercial real estate transactions require an appraisal, a move that could give some lenders sizable relief.

House lawmakers including Jeb Hensarling are preparing to move on a series of targeted regulatory relief bills in an effort to give Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, more leeway when he tries to craft a relief measure.

Some credit union advocates are praising the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for a move that exempts select institutions from certain reporting requirements, but other say the bureau must still do more.

From the Trump administration's initial efforts at reg relief and GSE reform to dramatic shifts in the servicing landscape, here's a look back at the top stories shaping the mortgage industry during the first half of 2017.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo sounded optimistic Thursday about reaching a bipartisan deal for regulatory relief, but a hearing once again emphasized the gulf between what lawmakers are likely to pass and what the industry is seeking.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen called the Treasury's report a "complicated document" that shared many of the central bank's objectives, including reducing regulatory burden without sacrificing safety and soundness.

The Treasury plan includes a slew of items that don’t require Congress to act, and appear feasible in the short term. Here's a guide to what changes could be made.

Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, welcomed Treasury Department recommendations on how to reform financial regulations and expressed optimism that many of the suggestions could become law.

The Treasury Department published its first report on regulatory reform, offering some familiar industry asks alongside some surprising positions.

Clearing the bill through the House has value, giving baseline legislative language that the Senate might select in a more modest legislative package.