Banker Compliance News

Banking compliance professionals require hot-topic news on consumer and regulatory compliance updates, decisions, amendments, changes and launches from across a wide spectrum of news agencies and federal websites. Not only do we update our News pages with individual news items and their links, but these are sent to members in a Daily Bank Compliance email that can be signed up for once new members log-in. Compliance Alliance monitors these agencies for bank compliance news updates throughout the day—posting relevant information to our News page. This is a valuable resource for Bank Managers and their employees.

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Digitalization: Resources for Community Banks

March 19, 2025 / Source: OCC

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has established a new Digitalization page on its website—www.occ.gov—dedicated to resources to help community banks1 meet their digitalization objectives. Note for Community Banks This bulletin applies to community banks. Highlights Digitalization is the use of technology to change a business model, provide new revenue and value-producing opportunities, or automate…

Treasury International Capital Data for January

March 19, 2025 / Source: Treasury

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released Treasury International Capital (TIC) data for January 2024. The next release, which will report on data for February 2025, is scheduled for April 16, 2025. The sum total in January of all net foreign acquisitions of long-term securities, short-term U.S. securities, and banking flows was…

Federal Reserve Board and Federal Open Market Committee release economic projections from the March 18-19 FOMC meeting

March 19, 2025 / Source: FRB

The attached tables and charts released on Wednesday summarize the economic projections made by Federal Open Market Committee participants in conjunction with the March 18-19 meeting. For media inquiries, email [email protected] or call 202-452-2955. Projections (PDF) | Accessible Materials

Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement

March 19, 2025 / Source: FRB

Recent indicators suggest that economic activity has continued to expand at a solid pace. The unemployment rate has stabilized at a low level in recent months, and labor market conditions remain solid. Inflation remains somewhat elevated. The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run….

OCC Conditionally Approves Fintech Business Model for a National Bank

March 18, 2025 / Source: OCC

WASHINGTON—The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced conditional approval of the application for financial technology (fintech) company SmartBiz Loans to change the business model of CenTrust Bank, N.A., Northbrook, Illinois, upon its acquisition of CenTrust Bank, N.A. Upon acquisition, CenTrust Bank, N.A. was renamed SmartBiz Bank, N.A. CenTrust further applied to…

Treasury Targets Mexico-Based Leader of Transnational Criminal Organization Responsible for Smuggling Thousands of Migrants Across the U.S. Southern Border

March 18, 2025 / Source: Treasury

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Jumilca Sandivel Hernandez Perez (Hernandez Perez), a key leader of the Lopez Human Smuggling Organization (HSO), a Guatemala-based Transnational Criminal Organization responsible for the smuggling of thousands of illegal aliens from Guatemala, through Mexico, and into the United States. Additionally, Hernandez Perez has coordinated…

U.S. Department of the Treasury Brings Back IRS Whistleblowers Wrongly Punished in Biden Probe

March 18, 2025 / Source: Treasury

WASHINGTON – The United States Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) today announced that the two IRS whistleblowers who had been wrongfully targeted for investigating Hunter Biden’s evasion of taxes on his $8.3 million income would be brought in to the U.S. Department of Treasury as Senior Advisors. “I am pleased to…

Statement by Governor Bowman

March 18, 2025

I would like to express my thanks to President Trump for nominating me as the Vice Chair for Supervision. I am grateful for the continued faith and confidence he has placed in me to fulfill this vital role. If confirmed, I will promote a safe and sound banking system through a pragmatic approach to supervision…

HUD Secretary Scott Turner and DOI Secretary Doug Burgum Announce Joint Task Force To Use Federal Lands for Affordable Housing

March 17, 2025 / Source: HUD

WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner and U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum announced a Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing to identify underutilized federal lands suitable for residential development, streamline land transfer processes and promote policies that increase the availability of affordable housing. Read more in…

New Report Shows FTC Returned $337.3 Million to Consumers in 2024

March 16, 2025 / Source: FTC

As a result of the agency’s law enforcement actions, the Federal Trade Commission sent $337.3 million in refunds to consumers in 2024, according to the FTC’s annual report on refunds released today. “Getting money back for people across the country is a top priority for the FTC,” said Chris Mufarrige, Director of the Bureau of…

Treasury Sanctions Iranian Oil Minister, Shadow Fleet Operators

March 13, 2025 / Source: Treasury

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating Iran’s Minister of Petroleum, Mohsen Paknejad, who oversees the export of tens of billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil and has allocated billions of dollars’ worth of oil to Iran’s armed forces for export. OFAC is also designating several entities in…

OCC to Host Virtual Innovation Office Hours

March 12, 2025 / Source: OCC

WASHINGTON—The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced virtual Office Hours with its Office of Financial Technology on May 6-8, 2025, to promote responsible innovation in the federal banking system. Office Hours are an opportunity for banks and financial technology (fintech) companies to engage with OCC staff on matters related to bank-fintech…

Treasury Sanctions Swedish Gang and Leader Serving Iranian Regime

March 12, 2025 / Source: Treasury

WASHINGTON — Today, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Foxtrot Network, a transnational criminal organization (TCO) primarily based in Sweden that has trafficked illicit drugs and that carried out attacks on Israelis and Jews in Europe, along with its fugitive leader Rawa Majid. In January 2024, the Foxtrot Network orchestrated an attack on the Israeli…

FinCEN Issues Southwest Border Geographic Targeting Order

March 11, 2025 / Source: FinCEN

WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a Geographic Targeting Order (GTO) to further combat the illicit activities and money laundering of Mexico-based cartels and other criminal actors along the southwest border of the United States. The GTO requires all money services businesses (MSBs) located in 30 ZIP codes…

Secretary Turner Denounces DEI Criteria in Asheville’s Draft Disaster Plan

March 11, 2025 / Source: HUD

Washington – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner released the following statement after the City of Asheville, North Carolina posted a draft action plan on its website which included DEI criteria as part of how it intends to distribute millions of dollars for Hurricane Helene disaster relief. HUD will not approve the…

New FTC Data Show a Big Jump in Reported Losses to Fraud to $12.5 Billion in 2024

March 10, 2025 / Source: FTC

Newly released Federal Trade Commission data show that consumers reported losing more than $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, which represents a 25% increase over the prior year. According to the FTC’s data book, this number is not driven by an increase in fraud reports, which remained stable. Instead, the percentage of people who reported losing money…

Agencies Issue 2024 Shared National Credit Program Report

March 10, 2025 / Source: FDIC

Federal bank regulatory agencies today reported in the 2024 Shared National Credit (SNC) report that credit risk associated with large, syndicated bank loans remains moderate. However, the agencies noted weakened credit quality trends continue due to the pressure of higher interest rates on leveraged borrowers and compressed operating margins in some industry sectors. The agencies also…

OCC Clarifies Bank Authority to Engage in Certain Cryptocurrency Activities

March 9, 2025 / Source: OCC

WASHINGTON—The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today took action to reaffirm that a range of cryptocurrency activities are permissible in the federal banking system.  The OCC published Interpretive Letter 1183 to confirm that crypto-asset custody, certain stablecoin activities, and participation in independent node verification networks such as distributed ledger are permissible for…

Speech – Economic Outlook

March 9, 2025 / Source: FRB

Thank you, Anil. I appreciate the opportunity to speak at this forum and look forward to our discussion. I will start with some brief remarks about the economy and the path of policy. Despite elevated levels of uncertainty, the U.S. economy continues to be in a good place. The labor market is solid, and inflation…

Treasury Department Announces New Appointments

March 9, 2025 / Source: Treasury

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent announced today key appointments for senior positions at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Biographies of the appointees are listed below in alphabetical order: Jonathan Blum will serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs. Mr. Blum was most recently Vice President of Congressional Relations at the…

Joint Statement from U.S Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich

March 6, 2025 / Source: Treasury

WASHINGTON – Today, March 5th  2025, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Israel’s Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich held a highly impactful meeting to discuss the ongoing economic partnership between the United States and Israel. The Secretary and the Minister reaffirmed the strong and enduring commitment of both nations to a strategic economic…

HUD Extends Foreclosure Relief to Californians Impacted by Los Angeles County Wildfires

March 6, 2025 / Source: HUD

Altadena, Calif. – Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is announcing a 90-day extension of its foreclosure moratorium on Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured single family mortgages in the areas of Los Angeles County, California, devastated by the January 2025 wildfires. HUD Secretary Scott Turner is making this announcement while touring a…

Treasury Sanctions China-based Hacker Involved in the Compromise of Sensitive U.S. Victim Networks

March 5, 2025 / Source: Treasury

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating Zhou Shuai, a Shanghai-based malicious cyber actor and data broker, and his company, Shanghai Heiying Information Technology Company, Limited (Shanghai Heiying). In collaboration with another malicious cyber actor, U.S.-sanctioned Yin Kecheng, Zhou Shuai illegally acquired, brokered, and sold data from highly sensitive…

Treasury Targets Houthi Leaders Involved in Smuggling and Procuring Weapons

March 5, 2025 / Source: Treasury

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is taking action against seven high-ranking members of Ansarallah, commonly known as the Houthis. These individuals have smuggled military-grade items and weapon systems into Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and also negotiated Houthi weapons procurements from Russia. OFAC is also designating…

HUD and Census Bureau Report New Residential Sales in January 2025

March 4, 2025 / Source: HUD

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential sales statistics for January 2025: New Home SalesSales of new single-family houses in January 2025 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 657,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S….