The OCC is restoring its former practices and policies under the Bank Merger Act to reinstate expedited merger reviews and streamlined business combination applications....more
5/19/2025
/ Acquisitions ,
Bank Merger Act ,
Banking Sector ,
Biden Administration ,
Expedited Actions Process ,
Financial Institutions ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Mergers ,
OCC ,
Rescission ,
Trump Administration
The federal banking agencies continue to open the channels for regulated entities to engage in digital asset activities.
On May 7, 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) published Interpretive Letter...more
5/12/2025
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Custody ,
Digital Assets ,
Financial Institutions ,
Interpretive Letters ,
New Regulations ,
OCC ,
Outsourcing ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Risk Management
FRB eases crypto restrictions on supervised entities in alignment with the new administration’s support for the digital asset industry....more
5/5/2025
/ Banking Sector ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
FinTech ,
FRB ,
OCC ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform
In light of ongoing litigation and the Trump administration’s new policy approach, federal banking agencies intend to rescind the 2023 CRA final rule and revert to pre-2023 standards....more
4/8/2025
/ Banking Regulators ,
Banking Sector ,
Biden Administration ,
Community Reinvestment Act ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Final Rules ,
Judicial Authority ,
OCC ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration
New FDIC guidance permits crypto activities by supervised institutions without prior approval, emphasizing risk management and compliance with applicable laws and regulations....more
In a break from restrictive Biden-era policies, OCC-supervised banks may now engage in crypto without supervisory nonobjection, potentially opening new avenues for innovation....more
Under its new acting chairman appointed by President Trump, the FDIC charges ahead with its new agenda by rolling back key Biden-era regulatory efforts.
On March 3, 2025, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)...more
Fair access banking laws, at the epicenter of the debates between ESG and so-called antiwoke regulation and federal/state preemption, may see a resurgence under the new presidential administration.
In recent years, the...more
“Fair access” banking laws, at the epicenter of the debates between ESG and “anti-woke” regulation and federal/state preemption, may see a resurgence under the incoming administration.
In recent years, the landscape of...more
1/8/2025
/ Banking Sector ,
Biden Administration ,
Compliance ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Fair Access to Credit ,
Fair Lending ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
OCC ,
Preemption ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Freeze ,
State and Local Government ,
Trump Administration
In 2024, the U.S. federal bank regulators were extremely active, with initiatives ranging from antitrust and capital to proposals regarding controlling shareholders and incentive-based compensation. Climate issues and...more
12/23/2024
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Basel III ,
Climate Change ,
Community Reinvestment Act ,
Executive Compensation ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Regulatory Agencies ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Incentive Compensation ,
Mergers ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Strategic Planning ,
Trump Administration
On September 10, Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Barr gave a speech (the Barr Speech) in which he outlined the principal changes to the federal banking agencies' 2023 proposal to implement the Basel Endgame (the...more
11/20/2024
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Fannie Mae ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
Freddie Mac ,
Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs) ,
Housing Developers ,
Mandatory Clearing Requirements ,
Mortgages ,
Renewable Energy ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Trade Associations
Regulators seek to provide clarity and transparency on the bank merger review process, but changes may increase application complexity and unpredictability.
Consistent with ongoing initiatives to strengthen US antitrust...more
The proposal would make key changes to the definition of “deposit broker” with significant ramifications for banks, fintechs, bank-fintech partnerships, and other third parties in the financial services industry....more
The proposal would establish stricter oversight of certain transactions and responds to concerns that large asset managers may be exerting influence on FDIC-supervised institutions.
On July 30, 2024, the Board of...more
8/9/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Change in Control ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Depository Institutions ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
NPRM ,
OCC ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Publicly-Traded Companies
With regulators keeping close watch, the results underscore the need for ongoing climate risk management investment and adaptation within the financial sector.
On May 9, 2024, the Board of Governors of the Federal...more
A recent bipartisan bill, if enacted, would particularly benefit small lenders and bank-fintech partnerships by promoting transparency, appellate rights, and examiner accountability.
On December 14, 2023, a bipartisan...more
The OCC outlines safety and soundness principles and appropriate risk management processes for its regulated institutions that engage in venture lending.
On November 1, 2023, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency...more
11/29/2023
/ Banking Crisis ,
Banking Sector ,
Commercial Loans ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
Lenders ,
New Guidance ,
OCC ,
Risk Management ,
State Charters
Guidance for the largest US financial institutions is intended to promote climate risk management consistent with general safety and soundness practices.
On October 30, 2023, the three US federal bank regulatory agencies...more
11/8/2023
/ Banking Sector ,
Biden Administration ,
Climate Change ,
Corporate Governance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Executive Orders ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
New Guidance ,
OCC ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Management ,
Strategic Planning
A new program addresses innovative banking activities such as bank-fintech partnerships and digital assets while reinforcing guardrails around stablecoin activity.
On August 8, 2023, the Board of Governors of the Federal...more
8/16/2023
/ Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Compliance ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Programs ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinTech ,
FRB ,
Risk-Based Approaches ,
Stablecoins
After a lengthy “holistic” review and a spring banking crisis, US bank capital requirements finally face overhaul.
On July 10, 2023, US Federal Reserve Board (FRB) Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr delivered a...more
7/21/2023
/ Banking Crisis ,
Banking Sector ,
Basel III ,
Capital Requirements ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Institutions ,
Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs) ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Risk Assessment ,
Risk Mitigation ,
SIFMA ,
Stress Tests
The guidance outlines principles and key considerations for banking organizations as they navigate risks associated with third parties, including fintechs.
On June 6, 2023, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation...more
6/23/2023
/ Banking Sector ,
FDIC ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinTech ,
FRB ,
Interagency Guidance ,
OCC ,
Risk Management ,
Third-Party ,
Third-Party Relationships ,
Third-Party Risk
The spring of 2023 saw more dislocation in the global financial sector than any time since the 2008-09 financial crisis. In the US, banking institutions with over $500 billion in total assets failed, and other banks that were...more
6/5/2023
/ Banking Crisis ,
Banking Sector ,
Capital Requirements ,
Deposit Insurance ,
EU ,
Financial Crisis ,
Financial Regulatory Agencies ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Global Economy ,
Liquidity ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
UK
The decisive action will mitigate emerging liquidity and solvency risks, contain pressure on the banking system, and protect depositors.
On March 12, 2023, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal...more
Custodia Bank was denied Federal Reserve membership, while certain crypto principal activities are deemed presumptively not appropriate for member banks.
On January 27, 2023, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve...more
The Acting Comptroller of the OCC discussed the limits of large bank manageability and the steps that regulators can take to address the risks posed by size and complexity.
On January 17, 2023, Acting Comptroller of the...more