United States: Finance and Banking

When a bank restructures a classified asset, does it automatically lose its low-quality status under Regulation W? This analysis examines the strict requirements for removing low-quality asset designations and the critical role of independent examiner re-classification in determining whether banks can purchase restructured assets from affiliates.

When a bank pledges its own collateral to secure an affiliate's borrowing from a third-party lender, does this arrangement constitute a guarantee under Regulation W? The Federal Reserve's interpretation treats such pledges as covered transactions, with specific measurement rules that reflect the bank's actual exposure. Understanding how to properly classify and measure these arrangements is essential for compliance with quantitative limits.

The FDIC and Federal Reserve have issued proposed rules addressing state bank parity, merger procedures, and stablecoin regulation, while the Federal Reserve finalizes stress test changes to enhance transparency and reduce capital volatility. These regulatory developments reshape the landscape for interstate banking operations, merger transactions, and digital asset activities for financial institutions.

On September 23, the Colorado AG announced a settlement with a Colorado-licensed debt collection company resolving allegations concerning its collection of medical debt from Colorado consumers.

As AI infrastructure spending surges toward $697 billion in 2026, hyperscalers and compute providers are increasingly turning to debt, structured financing, and GPU-backed collateral to fund expansion. While demand projections remain bullish, a critical timing gap is emerging between capital deployment and cash flow generation, creating significant risks for lenders, sponsors, and operators across the ecosystem.

The 2025 restructuring of the Ardagh Group S.A. (Ardagh or the company) capital structure unleashed one of the most controversial—and ultimately consequential—“Restructuring” credit event determination processes...

When a bank has previously sold an asset to an affiliate with recourse and that asset subsequently becomes low-quality, can the bank legally repurchase it? The answer depends critically on the asset's quality status at the time of the original sale, creating important documentation requirements for financial institutions.

California has enacted Assembly Bill 501, which will materially change the procedures governing allegedly unauthorized financing statements when it takes effect on January 1, 2027. A missed notice could put a lender’s perfected security interest in collateral at risk.

A circuit split and new OCC regulations have created unprecedented uncertainty over whether federal law preempts state requirements that mortgage lenders pay interest on escrow accounts. With the Second Circuit finding preemption, the First and Ninth Circuits rejecting it, and ten states now challenging the OCC's nationwide preemption determination in court, mortgage lenders face a fragmented compliance landscape that demands jurisdiction-specific strategies and constant monitoring of rapidly evolving

When a bank has previously sold an asset to an affiliate with recourse and that asset subsequently becomes low-quality, can the bank legally repurchase it? The answer depends critically on the asset's quality status at the time of the original sale, creating important documentation requirements for financial institutions.

Mississippi bankers recently traveled to Washington D.C. for their annual fly-in, meeting with federal regulators and congressional representatives to discuss enforcement priorities and banking policy. The meetings revealed a notable shift in tone compared to previous years, with discussions becoming markedly more congenial and collaborative between industry representatives and government officials.

Financial institutions face new questions about accepting state-issued mobile driver's licenses and other government-issued verifiable digital credentials under customer identification programs. The September 2026 guidance from FinCEN and federal banking agencies clarifies when banks and credit unions may rely on these digital credentials, but leaves critical implementation decisions about technology, validation, and reasonable-belief standards to each institution.