ICBA: Analysis Shows Permitting Interest on Payment Stablecoin Holdings Would Reduce Community Bank Lending by $850 Billion
As Congress crafts legislation to establish a regulatory framework for digital assets markets, the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) today released new data showing the harmful impact on local economies of allowing crypto exchanges, affiliates, and other intermediaries to pay interest, yield, or rewards on payment stablecoin holdings. Based on macroeconomic modeling from new industry research, ICBA estimates that continuing to allow crypto intermediaries to pay interest or yield on payment stablecoin holdings would reduce community bank…
SBA: Deregulation Strike Force Launched to Conduct Government-Wide Review of Regulations Impacting Small Businesses
Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched a new Deregulation Strike Force, dedicating a full team to the mission of identifying and eliminating excessive Biden-era regulations that have disproportionately increased costs for America’s small businesses and consumers. The strike force, led by the SBA’s Office of Advocacy, is working across all federal agencies to cut regulations that have…
OCC: Mortgage Performance Report Issued for Third Quarter of 2025
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) reported on the performance of first-lien mortgages in the federal banking system during the third quarter of 2025. The OCC Mortgage Metrics Report, Third Quarter 2025 showed that 97.4 percent of mortgages included in the report were current and performing at the end of the quarter, remaining unchanged…
Agencies Announce Dollar Thresholds for Applicability of Truth in Lending and Consumer Leasing Rules for Consumer Credit and Lease Transactions
The Federal Reserve Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today announced the dollar thresholds used to determine whether certain consumer credit and lease transactions in 2026 are subject to certain protections under Regulation Z (Truth in Lending) and Regulation M (Consumer Leasing). By law, the agencies are required to adjust the thresholds annually based…
Agencies Announce Dollar Thresholds for Smaller Loan Exemption from Appraisal Requirements for Higher-Priced Mortgage Loans
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Reserve Board, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency today announced that the 2026 threshold for higher-priced mortgage loans that are subject to special appraisal requirements will increase from $33,500 to $34,200. The threshold amount will be effective January 1, 2026, and is based on the…
ABA: Statement Issued on OCC’s Announcement Regarding National Trust Charters
“Today’s decision by the OCC to approve conditionally a group of novel national trust charters raises important questions about the scope and oversight of these institutions. While innovation in financial services can benefit consumers, it is critical that any chartered entity operates under a regulatory framework that appropriately addresses its activities and risks. We are…
ICBA: ICBA Opposes OCC’s Approval of Five National Trust Charter Applications
The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) today expressed opposition to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s conditional approval opens in a new tab of five national trust bank charter applications from nonbank fintechs. ICBA has repeatedly said in letters to the OCC that the agency lacks statutory authority to expand trust powers under Interpretive…
FEMA: President Trump Approves Emergency Declaration for State of Washington
FEMA announced today that federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Washington to supplement response efforts due to emergency conditions resulting from severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides beginning on December 9, 2025, and continuing. The President’s action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts to alleviate the hardship and suffering…
OCC: Conditional Approvals Announced for Five National Bank Charter Applications
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced its conditional approval of five national trust bank charter applications. Subject to meeting the OCC’s conditions, these institutions will join approximately 60 other national trust banks currently supervised by the OCC. In granting these conditional approvals, the OCC applied the same rigorous review and…
CDFI Fund: Advisory Board Will Meet Virtually on December 29th
The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) is convening a public meeting of the Community Development Advisory Board (the Advisory Board) from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, December 29, 2025. This meeting will be conducted virtually. The function of the Advisory Board is to advise the Director of the CDFI Fund on the…