Hannah Lang

Randal Quarles, who oversaw an easing of post-financial crisis rules as the Federal Reserve’s vice chair of supervision, announced he will resign at the end of this year. His departure will leave President Biden with another open seat to fill on the central bank’s board.

Federal and state banking agencies released a joint statement calling on financial institutions to conduct the "due diligence necessary" to select a new reference rate benchmark that is suitable for their risk profile.

The chair of the Federal Reserve said the backlash over the personal financial transactions of two Fed bank presidents — made when they were privy to discussions about the central bank’s coronavirus response — demonstrated that internal guidelines can be bolstered to avoid the appearance of conflicts.

Sandra Thompson, who has been acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency since June, has won backing from the mortgage industry and community groups for the experience she brings to the role. The push comes as the administration is said to be considering Mike Calhoun of the Center for Responsible Lending.

The chair of the House Financial Services Committee endorsed acting Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Sandra Thompson as rumors abound that the administration is considering someone else for the job.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is looking to revise the framework intended for when Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac exit conservatorship in order to encourage the transfer of credit risk to private investors.

Changes made in the waning days of the previous administration limited the government-sponsored enterprises’ purchases of certain loan types, which drew criticism from lenders and community groups alike.

The White House and the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced steps to help nonprofits and public agencies buy foreclosed properties, among other initiatives, as part of a plan to boost supply over the next three years.

This year’s stress tests examined 23 banks including JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, with the remainder of the firms on an “every other year” test cycle. The capital requirements for those remaining firms are unchanged from last year.

A hike in guarantee fees charged to lenders for the companies’ backing of loans was due to expire this year, but lawmakers now want to extend it to raise $21 billion for the bipartisan package.