HUD suffers setback, CECL delayed, PNC plots expansion: Top stories of the week

A court ruling deals a blow to efforts by HUD to restrict nonprofit housing funds from operating on a national scale; most banks get another year to implement CECL; CEO William Demchak plans to enter more markets and more from this week’s most-read stories.

Federal court blocks HUD guidance on down payment assistance

HUD Secretary Ben Carson
Ben Carson, secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), speaks during the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. The summit is dedicated to promoting foreign direct investment in the United States. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
The ruling deals a blow to efforts by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to restrict nonprofit housing funds from operating on a national scale.

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FASB extends CECL deadline for most lenders

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The decision gives the vast majority of banks and credit unions another year to implement the controversial accounting method for loan losses.

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PNC aggressively adding branches to become coast-to-coast bank

William Demchak, president and CEO of PNC Financial Services Group
CEO William Demchak, encouraged by early returns from new branches in Dallas and Kansas City, Mo., plans to enter even more markets.

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Ally ends credit card experiment, pivots to point-of-sale loans

Jeffrey Brown, chief executive of Ally Financial.
The company, which announced the conclusion of a three-year-old credit card partnership with TD Bank, is shifting to digital financing of individual consumer purchases.

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First Horizon may ask Alexa to help take on bigger banks

amazon alexa echo dot
An attendee holds an "Echo Dot" device during the U.K. launch event for the Amazon.com Inc. Echo voice-controlled home assistant speaker in this arranged photograph in London, U.K., on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016. The Seattle-based company today announced that its Echo product line will be available in the U.K. and Germany starting in the fall, the first time the gadget will be available outside the U.S. Photographer: Luke MacGregor/Bloomberg
Luke MacGregor/Bloomberg
The Memphis, Tenn., regional will explore the use of voice assistants as part of its digital banking push.

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Once a doubter, TD is now bullish on crypto, blockchain

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It's created a new digital assets and distributed ledger group, trades bitcoin futures and is funding a crypto exchange.

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Emboldened by CECL delay, industry seeks repeal

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After FASB's decision to give most banks extra time to prepare, lobbying groups are pushing for more.

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PayPal-backed blockchain aims to help banks verify digital IDs

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PayPal Holdings Inc. signage is displayed outside the company's headquarters in San Jose, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017. PayPal Holdings Inc. is scheduled to release earnings figures on January 26. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
A new project backed by the government of Luxembourg could ultimately be influential in the U.S., where banks have been slow to develop a shared platform for digital identities.

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Elizabeth Warren makes play to put banking in 2020 spotlight

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts and 2020 presidential candidate, speaks during the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Presidential Town Hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., on Thursday, July 11, 2019. Former Vice President Joe Biden still holds a comfortable lead in the Democratic primary, an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released Thursday shows, but Warren is steadily gaining ground. Photographer: Sara Stathas/Bloomberg
Sara Stathas/Bloomberg
Warren’s plan unveiled Thursday would be the most significant rewrite of financial services rules since the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010.

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Wells Fargo sued for denying loan to Dreamer

Pedestrians walk past a Wells Fargo bank branch in Los Angeles.
Alleged discrimination over immigration status is the latest legal headache for Wells Fargo.

(Full story here.)
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