House Republicans Renew Anti-Woke Banking Battle

In the latest GOP-led action against “woke” finance, HFSC Financial Institutions Subcommittee Chairman Barr (R-KY) yesterday reintroduced the Fair Access to Banking Act (H.R. 2743), which would prevent large banks from limiting or refusing services to the fossil-fuel, digital-asset, and gun industries.

FRB Review Of CBDC Comments Leaves Open All Options

The Federal Reserve late yesterday released a summary of public comments received on its 2022 CBDC discussion draft (see FSM Report CBDC10), arraying comments in ways that make it difficult to judge who said what or where the preponderance of comments is to be found.

FSOC Advances Activity, Nonbank Systemic Designation, Regulation

As anticipated, all FSOC members today voted to advance two key proposals to redesign the U.S. systemic framework and speed action on two clear systemic designation priorities: hedge-fund interconnectedness with the banking system and nonbank mortgage companies.

Waters Praises FSOC, Presses for New Bank Standards

While commending FSOC’s action earlier today, HFSC Ranking Member Waters (D-CA) urged it to quickly go farther, pressing the Council to send the FRB and other banking agencies recommendations for post-SVB reforms.

BIS Paper: Fintech Innovation Amplifies Inequality

A new BIS working paper on fintech concludes that increased financial-technology innovation amplifies inequalities between sophisticated and unsophisticated investors and that bridging this gap will require policy focus on fintech accessibility and usability.

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