#fintech – Federal Financial Analytics

5 06, 2023

DAILY060523

Eliza Allen2023-06-05T16:41:32-04:00June 5th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

FRB-NY: Bank Discrimination Not To Blame For More Black Fintech PPP Loans

A new paper from Federal Reserve Bank of New York staff concludes that differences in PPP applications between white and Black firms entirely explains why Black PPP borrowers received a greater share of loans from fintechs rather than banks. This issue has been a longstanding point of contentiousness used by fintech advocates to argue that their business model warrants less regulation on grounds that it is also less discriminatory. However, the paper’s results suggest that any fintech-driven mitigation of racial disparities in lending outcomes is the product of higher Black-borrower applications, not higher approval rates that would demonstrate less discrimination.

GOP Leadership Presses Treasury, SEC On US/EU Climate Coordination

Senate Banking Ranking Member Scott (R-SC) was joined today by House Oversight Committee Chairman Comer (R-KY) in sending letters to Treasury Secretary Yellen and SEC Chairman Gensler taking serious issue with reports that the Department and Commission have been facilitating EU regulators’ efforts to advance international climate-related disclosure policies and ESG initiatives. Although the letter references U.S. companies, Ranking Member Scott and Chairman Comer sharply criticize EU standards they say would cause serious business and financial system harm through “onerous extra-territorial climate mandates.”

Daily060523.pdf…

15 05, 2023

DAILY051523

Eliza Allen2023-05-15T17:23:44-04:00May 15th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

Yellen Highlights Investor – Not Uninsured-Deposit – Runs, Buoys Sector Mergers

In an interview over the weekend, Treasury Secretary Yellen struck a decidedly different tone on bank mergers than voiced in the Administration’s policy prior to recent failures.

Gensler Outlines Top Financial Stability Concerns

In remarks today, SEC Chair Gensler outlined his financial-stability priorities.

Failed-Bank CEOs Defend Themselves, Contest Need For Receivership

Ahead of testimony tomorrow before Senate Banking, the CEOs of SVB and Signature have filed statements defending their actions and those of their colleagues.

FHFA Seeks Views On New Pricing Framework

Following last week’s announcement that it would postpone its controversial decision to retain an upfront fee related to a borrower’s debt-to-income level, the FHFA today released a Request for Input on the Enterprises’ single-family pricing framework as well as the process for setting their upfront guarantee fees.

Barr Stands His Supervisory, Regulatory Ground

Vice Chairman Barr’s testimony for Congressional hearings this week has just been released along with the Board’s 2023 supervision-and-regulation report.

Gruenberg Sticks To His Guns

FDIC Chairman Gruenberg’s Congressional testimony largely recounts prior statements about the condition of the banking system, recent bank failures, the new special-assessment proposal (see FSM Report DEPOSITINSURANCE120), and the agency’s deposit-insurance reform conclusion (see Client Report DEPOSITINSURANCE119).

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21 04, 2023

DAILY042123

Eliza Allen2023-04-21T17:02:12-04:00April 21st, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

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.

Daily042123.pdf…

8 03, 2023

DAILY030823

Eliza Allen2023-03-08T17:06:14-05:00March 8th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

HFSC Plans Broad Attack, Limited Legislation to Rewrite Administration Crypto Standards

The HFSC staff memo makes it clear that the Digital Asset Subcommittee hearing on Thursday will be a strong general GOP attack on Biden Administration crypto policy and specific campaign against the SEC’s enforcement-focused strategy.

HFSC Plans to Blast CFPB, Press Limited Change

Thursday’s HFSC Monetary Policy Subcommittee hearing on the CFPB is sure to be a raucous, partisan affair judging by the staff memo describing it. Republicans have strongly objected to the Bureau before its inception, with concerns sharply heightened by a series of recent actions under Director Chopra.

CFPB Slams Fees, Promises Mercy

Ahead of a meeting later today between senior White House officials, Director Chopra, and hundreds of state legislators concerning the President’s “junk fee” agenda, the CFPB today released Supervisory Highlights focusing on recent instances of what it deems unlawful junk fees in deposit accounts, auto loan servicing, mortgage servicing, payday lending, and student loan servicing.

GAO Doubts Fintech’s Inclusion Advantage

The GAO today released a report finding that fintech may enhance inclusion, but that this inclusion comes at risk due to the patchwork of rules governing firms offering products – e.g., wage advances – that may put vulnerable households at risk.

HFSC Republicans Scrutinize SEC Rulemaking, Fed Climate Policy

As anticipated, today’s HFSC Subcommittee Hearing with the inspectors-general for the FRB, CFPB, Treasury, and SEC focused on GOP attacks on the SEC’s IG vacancy and the CFPB’s funding mechanism.

Brown, Others Demand ABA …

7 03, 2023

DAILY030723

Eliza Allen2023-03-07T16:44:19-05:00March 7th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

FRB-NY Renews Culture Analyses With Fintech Focus

Although the New York Fed’s corporate-culture efforts were high profile in the wake of the great financial crisis, attention has shifted to matters leading the Reserve Bank to retool its effort. In remarks today, James Hennessy, head of this work at the New York Fed, announced that focus has turned to how the digital transformation affects corporate culture, looking for example at how new entrants affect bank decision-making. This appears to be a reference to a new inter-agency worry: that fintech or similar partnerships are driven more by bank profit considerations than attention at the same time to risk management and consumer protection.

Daily030723.pdf…

7 02, 2023

DAILY020723

Eliza Allen2023-02-07T16:53:41-05:00February 7th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

CFPB Extends Digital Marketing Reach To “Pay-To-Play” Platforms

Expanding its reach to other forms of digital marketing (see FSM Report FINTECH30), the CFPB today issued an advisory opinion stipulating that what it calls “pay-to-play” consumer platforms presenting mortgage and settlement options are likely to violate the law.

High-Impact Fed Charter Policy Takes Effect

The Federal Register today includes the FRB’s policy statement rejecting the “states as laboratories for change” construct by conforming state member bank powers largely only to those authorized for national banks. The statement is now effective.

GOP, Democrats Vie for Toughest Anti-China Stance

As we anticipated, at today’s full HFSC Committee hearing on China, Chairman McHenry (R-NC) made it clear that he intends action addressing emerging financial and economic risks, reiterating principles such as a commitment to free markets, opposing policies that stifle innovation, and preventing “malign” financial activities or interests.

Barr Backs Short-Term, Small Dollar Lending, Flexible Public-Welfare Option

In remarks today, Fed Vice Chair Barr stressed the need to eliminate discrimination in banking, noting the importance of the CRA rewrite (see FSM Report CRA32) to address redlining and community development. However, he was silent as to the date by which the agencies are likely to issue the long-awaited final rule.

Daily020723.pdf…

6 02, 2023

DAILY020623

Eliza Allen2023-02-06T16:57:16-05:00February 6th, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

FRB-NY Confirms Regional-Bank Struggle Following LIBOR Transition

A new Federal Reserve Bank of New York staff study and blog post reaffirms many regional-bank fears about the LIBOR transition not fully allayed by compromise provisions in the Fed’s recent benchmark-setting regulation (see FSM Report LIBOR9). Focusing on the credit-line sector (which is largely unfunded), the paper finds that the likely cost of bank wholesale funding under stress will sharply exceed that earned on corporate-line drawdowns priced to SOFR, with these spreads likely especially wide for regional banks. The paper’s models and data thus lead to the conclusion that the shift to SOFR will decrease line availability.

Barr Prioritizes Privacy, Small-Bank Capital, FSOC Restraints

A new staff memo provides not only the agenda for Wednesday’s House Financial Institutions & Monetary Policy Subcommittee, but also the priorities Chairman Barr (R-KY) will pursue with regard to financial regulation. Key concerns are encouraging fintech, data privacy (a priority issue also for Chairman McHenry), facilitating de novo charters, and holding the banking agencies accountable. Bills on which a record will be established is one yet to be introduced to revise the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act’s privacy standards to stipulate federal preemption, expand coverage and give consumers rights akin to those now also under consideration by the CFPB for a limited number of banking activities (see FSM Report DATA3).

Daily020623.pdf…

2 02, 2023

DAILY020223

Eliza Allen2023-02-02T17:01:46-05:00February 2nd, 2023|2- Daily Briefing|

Scott Seeks Innovation, Competitiveness, Responsibility, Administrative Neutrality

Announcing his priorities for this Congress, Senate Banking Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-SC) struck the guarded stance in favor of bipartisan cooperation expressed yesterday by HFSC Chairman McHenry (R-NC). His top priority is increasing credit availability, with a mention of global competitiveness suggesting perhaps some interest in the Basel proposals as well as the need to advance fintech expressly mentioned in his release. Like Rep. McHenry, Sen. Scott also highlights regulatory accountability; unlike the HFSC chairman, he cannot call hearings to achieve this although he can of course ask committee witnesses pointed questions.

GAO Presses Need For MMF Reform

As required by the CARES Act, the GAO today issued a study on the March 2020 MMF runs that led the SEC to propose reforms last February (see FSM Report MMF19). It finds that the SEC’s current MMF liquid assets rules (see FSM Report MMF13) not only failed to prevent MMF runs during the pandemic, but also may have contributed to them by encouraging preemptive MMF share redemption. It also finds that, even though no MMF imposed a fee or gate in March 2020, their possibility likely contributed to redemption incentives.

Daily020223.pdf…

19 12, 2022

DAILY121922

Eliza Allen2022-12-19T16:49:50-05:00December 19th, 2022|2- Daily Briefing|

JEC Report Calls for Crypto Regulation

The Joint Economic Committee (JEC) released a report late Friday arguing that recent contraction in the digital-asset market demonstrates the need for more regulation. While it does not outline specific policy changes, the report asserts that new regulations must strive to keep digital assets separate from the broader economy to prevent contagion, as well as ensure that investors are properly informed on digital asset’s individual risks.

KC Fed Discounts SLR Relief as Solution to ONRRP Growth

A Friday brief from the Kansas City Fed concludes that limited money-market investment opportunities, policy uncertainty, and ONRRP changes such as easier eligibility better explain the sharp increase in ONRRP than bank-capital shortages as deposits flowed to MMFs. As a result, the paper concludes that reinstating SLR exemptions for central-bank deposits and Treasury obligations would not materially affect bank use of the ONRRP and thus facilitate Fed balance-sheet reduction.

McHenry Tees Up Fintech Action for New Congress

Incoming Chairman McHenry (R-NC) today reintroduced legislation designed to facilitate financial innovation, kicking off his chairmanship’s focus on fintech, crypto, and other financial technology related matters. The bill does not address priority policy questions in this contentious arena, instead creating a pathway for financial innovators to request information on whether they are eligible for exemptions from relevant regulations from the banking agencies and CFPB.

Daily121922.pdf…

14 12, 2022

CONSUMER45

Max Camateros-Mann2022-12-15T17:14:06-05:00December 14th, 2022|5- Client Report|

HFSC GOP Sets Table for Rocky CFPB Relationship

Despite early warm goodbyes to outgoing Chairwoman Waters (D-CA), GOP members wasted no time trading blows at a fiery HFSC session today with CFPB Director Chopra. As anticipated, incoming Chair McHenry (R-NC) and committee Republicans focused their efforts on what they call “regulation by guidance,” accusing the Director of trying to influence the behavior of firms through nonbinding releases and avoiding the public rulemaking process. In his testimony and answers to members, Director Chopra said that the Bureau is watching voluntary industry action on Zelle fraud before taking action and is more broadly focused on payment-system standards that ensure neutrality and strict data-privacy. Republican members also highlighted how the Bureau’s proposed small-business reports (see FSM Report SMBUS27) put undue regulatory burden on small banks. Additionally, Rep. Loudermilk (R-GA) inquired about the appropriateness of making banks liable for P2P fraud. Democrats refrained from questioning the Bureau’s actions, instead asking about its bigtech inquiry, the resurgence of ARMs, and blackbox algorithms. Reps. Cleaver (D-OH) and Vargas (D-CA) also continued their attacks on crypto from yesterday’s hearing, calling it dangerous and useless.

CONSUMER45.pdf…