Policy & Regulation

Earned wage access fintechs say the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's advisory opinion provides important clarity on the finance product, but legal experts warn that its practical impact could be minimal.

The effort by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, meant to benefit borrowers, has instead led to higher delinquency rates, increased defaults and more loans being sent to collections.

Just a handful of de novo banks opened in 2025. But there are signs of renewed activity, with eight banks currently actively in formation and more than 10 charter applications on file with the FDIC.

Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said on CNBC that both sides of the central bank's dual mandate show signs of imbalance, with the labor market appearing more vulnerable.

The real value of stablecoins lies in their ability to provide instant and secure transfers of value. But, in a world where every company has a bespoke stablecoin, that promise begins to break down quickly.

As artificial intelligence is integrated into more and more core banking operations, bank boards of directors need to make sure business continuity plans account for the possibility of AI system failures.

Conditional approval of a national bank charter used to be a virtual guarantee that an institution would open its doors. But the OCC's recent treatment of Erebor Bank suggests that banks with conditional approvals still have work to do.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said the administration must request funds from the Federal Reserve, rejecting a Trump DOJ legal theory.

Under a proposed rule, the agency would let most nationally chartered firms off the hook for heightened regulatory standards. The rule would raise the bar from $50 billion to $700 billion of assets and leave only eight firms subject to heightened regulation.

The Federal Reserve is slated to undertake a number of important rules and regulations in 2026, but decisions around agency leadership and the Trump administration's avowed effort to exert greater control over the central bank are likely to leave a lasting legacy at the agency.