DAILY032822
Hsu Open to New Merger Policy on Inter-Agency Basis
As noted on Friday, the FDIC has now officially released a controversial RFI on bank-merger policy (see FSM Report MERGER9). Press included a statement from Acting Comptroller Hsu indicating that he supports this public-comment effort, especially with regard to reconsidering financial stability at larger banks.
Progressives Propose a Treasury, not Central Bank, Digital Dollar
As anticipated when we reviewed a Brookings proposal for a “Treasury dollar“, legislation (H. R. 7231) has now been introduced to create what its sponsors call “ECASH” – that is, a digital currency issued by the U.S. Treasury, not the Federal Reserve. Introduced by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and several progressives, the ECASH program would launch three Treasury pilots under a new high-level Treasury office to create a digital dollar with physical cash’s privacy and anonymity.
House Panel Presses CS on Sanctions Compliance
Signaling a new source of sanctions-related reputational risk, the House Oversight Committee today demanded information from Credit Suisse following assertions that the bank had ordered counterparties to destroy Russia-related documentation.
Chopra Goes after Charters, Activities, Officers for Repeat Enforcement Violations
CFPB Director Chopra today expanded his attack on large financial-services firms, arguing that those who repeatedly violate consumer-protection or other core standards should lose their charters.