The financial news that actually matters
The Banking & Regulation section covers major updates in banking systems, financial regulations, account policies, and institutional changes. It explains how banks operate, how new rules affect consumers, and what policy changes mean for everyday financial decisions.
On June 9, 2026, federal bank examiners will lose one of their most controversial tools: the ability to pressure banks into closing accounts because a customer’s business, beliefs, or public statements are politically inconvenient. A final rule jointly issued by the FDIC and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency takes effect that day,…
A borrower earning $40,000 a year with $35,000 in federal student loans was paying about $50 a month under the SAVE repayment plan. Under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan, that same person would owe closer to $350, a sevenfold increase that hits before rent, groceries, or child care get any cheaper. That jump is now…
You spot a $347 charge on your credit card statement that you never authorized. You open your banking app, tap “Dispute,” and assume the problem is solved. Weeks later, the issuer denies your claim. The reason? Federal law required you to mail a physical letter to a specific address within 60 days of the statement…
Roughly 8 million people were enrolled in the federal SAVE repayment plan before courts blocked it. If you are one of them, a 37-day countdown is now running. On July 1, 2026, your loan servicer will mail you a transition notice and start a 90-day clock. Pick a new repayment plan before that clock runs…
A gun shop owner in Texas gets a polite letter: his business account is being closed, no further explanation. A cryptocurrency startup in Wyoming hears the same thing from a different bank. A faith-based charity in the Midwest loses its payment processor overnight. None of them were accused of fraud. None had bounced a check….
If you run a restaurant and watch your card-processing bill climb every month, here is the part that stings: you are paying a swipe fee on the sales tax you collect for the state and on the tip your customer leaves for the server. Illinois passed a law to stop that. On June 30, 2026,…
In 2024, Utah’s state treasurer cut checks totaling $37.4 million to residents who had no idea the money existed. The funds came from forgotten bank accounts, final paychecks never picked up, and utility deposits left behind after a move. One mid-sized state, one fiscal year, $37.4 million returned. Now multiply that across all 50 states….
In fiscal year 2022-23, the most recent year for which the state has published results, North Carolina’s treasurer office mailed thousands of checks totaling more than $108 million to residents who had searched the state’s NCCash.com portal and discovered money they had no idea existed. Old utility deposits. Insurance refunds that bounced back. Final paychecks…
A borrower with a 750 credit score can lock in a 30-year fixed mortgage near 6.5 percent. Knock 100 points off that score and the same lender may quote closer to 7.8 percent, according to loan-level price adjustment matrices published by Fannie Mae. On a $350,000 loan, the gap works out to roughly $300 more…
Order an $80 dinner in Chicago, and the final credit card charge might hit $104 after tax and a 20 percent tip. The bank that issued the card collects an interchange fee on every dollar of that total, including the portion headed to the city treasury and the portion headed to the server. Illinois lawmakers…
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