The NCUA announced a third round of proposed deregulation changes, seeking public comment on four proposals to eliminate or revise obsolete, duplicative, or burdensome rules and guidance to streamline compliance while maintaining credit union safety, soundness, and resilience. [1/15/25]
CFPB Crackdown on Deceptive Advertisements to Servicemembers in Full Swing
The CFPB settles with its fifth, sixth, and seventh companies for deceptive advertisements directed at servicemembers and veterans. Deception included implying an affiliation with the government and misrepresenting fees associated with the loans. [9/4/20]
FinCEN: Unlawfully Disclosed SARs
FinCEN has issued a statement that it is aware that various media outlets intend to publish a series of articles based on unlawfully disclosed Suspicious Activity Reports from several years ago. FinCEN seeks to remind all parties that unauthorized disclosure of SARs is a crime. [9/2/20]
NCUA: We Prefer Carrots Over Sticks (But Reserve Stick Option)
When it comes to promoting compliance, the NCUA prefers to provide more carrots in the form of incentivizing and rewarding corrective action and self-identification of compliance deficiencies. But the agency will use, when necessary, formal actions (a.k.a. sticks) to correct violations. [8/28/20]
PEP Talk
What you need to know about the agencies' recent statement on BSA regarding politically exposed persons. [8/26/20]
Risk Watch Plus Webinar 8: Complaint Management
Complaints: Why you shouldn't shun them, but invite them! In this era of exploding complaint volume, this certificated webinar (see instructions in video for how to get your free certificate of completion) takes a look at the risks, evolution, and need for a management strategy to effectively deal with complaints. Before that, we cover what's hot in compliance, as seen by the editors of Risk InboX.
Credit Unions
- NCUA Announces $13 Million in CDRLF Loans
The NCUA announced that $13 million is available through the Community Development Revolving Loan Fund (CDRLF) to provide low-income-designated credit unions with loans of up to $500,000 at 1.5% interest for eligible community development and operational initiatives. [7/9/26]
- NCUA Proposes Stablecoin Standards for Credit Unions
The NCUA has announced a proposed rule to establish operational and risk management standards for permitted payment stablecoin issuers, aligning credit union standards with those for bank subsidiaries and inviting stakeholder comments until July 17, 2026. [5/20/26]
- 11th Round of NCUA Deregulation Proposal
On May 6, 2026, the NCUA announced the latest phase of its Deregulation Project, proposing updates to raise asset thresholds for certain management interlocks under DIMIA and streamline share insurance rules by removing obsolete and duplicative regulatory requirements. [5/7/26]
- 10th Round of NCUA Deregulation Proposals Announced
The NCUA announced new proposed regulatory changes under its Deregulation Project to simplify rules around credit union mergers and bank conversions, aiming to reduce burdens and give boards greater flexibility in decision-making. [4/23/26]
- NCUA Seeks Feedback to Streamline Credit Union Reporting
The NCUA issued a Request for Information seeking credit union feedback on improving and streamlining key reporting forms (5300, 5310, and 4501A) to reduce compliance burden and refine data collection processes. [4/23/26]
- Round 9: NCUA Invites Comment on Deregulatory Membership Rule
The NCUA is inviting public comment on a proposed deregulatory rule to ease chartering and field-of-membership requirements by allowing more flexible eligibility for associational groups, aiming to reduce burdens and expand opportunities for credit unions. [4/13/26]
- Agencies Invite Public Comment on Proposed AML/CFT Rule
The FDIC, OCC, and NCUA invite comments on a proposed rule that would update AML/CFT rules to align with FinCEN and the 2020 AML Act by strengthening risk-based compliance requirements, clarifying program standards and enforcement thresholds, and enhancing coordination with FinCEN, with public comments due within 60 days. [4/13/26]
- NCUA Proposes Fifth Round of Deregulatory Changes
The NCUA announced the fifth round of proposed regulatory changes under its Deregulation Project, seeking public comment on three proposals to reduce burden, eliminate duplicative or outdated requirements, and increase flexibility for credit unions. [2/11/26]
- Survey: AI Tops 2026 Priorities for Community Banks and Credit Unions
A 2026 CSI survey finds community banks and credit unions are optimistic and growing, with artificial intelligence their top priority—followed by cybersecurity and digital assets—amid ongoing challenges from technology gaps, fintech competition, and regulatory uncertainty. [1/29/26]
- NCUA Announces Significant Reduction in 2026 Credit Union Operating Fees
NCUA approved its 2026 budget, resulting in an average 24.65% decrease in federal credit union operating fees, an increased exemption threshold to $2.16 million in assets, and lower overall fees due to budget reductions, asset growth, and use of prior-year surplus funds. [1/29/26]
- NCUA Proposes Fourth Round of Credit Union Deregulatory Changes
The NCUA announced a fourth round of proposed deregulation in January 2026, seeking public comment on four changes that would clarify guidance and remove duplicative or burdensome requirements to give federally insured credit unions greater flexibility while maintaining safety and soundness. [1/29/26]
- NCUA Proposes Third Round of Deregulation Changes
Banking Industry
- FDIC Launches Office of Supervisory Appeals
The FDIC has launched the independent Office of Supervisory Appeals to replace its prior appeals committee and provide a final-level review process for material supervisory determinations, appointing three experienced banking and regulatory officials to the new panel. [8/04/26]
- FDIC Streamlines New Bank Applications
The FDIC is introducing a two-phase de novo application process designed to accelerate approvals, provide applicants with earlier clarity, and encourage new bank formation, particularly among community banks. [8/10/26]
- OCC Updates Lending and Loan Portfolio Risk Management Guidance
The OCC issued the updated “Lending and Loan Portfolio Risk Management” booklet of the Comptroller’s Handbook, which consolidates and replaces prior lending guidance, provides examiners with risk-based supervision procedures, and outlines loan lifecycle and portfolio risk management practices applicable to OCC-supervised banks. [6/25/26]
- OCC Stablecoin Reporting Proposal
The OCC is seeking public comment on a proposed information collection under the GENIUS Act that would require OCC-regulated payment stablecoin issuers and foreign payment stablecoin issuers to submit weekly reserve and activity reports and quarterly financial condition reports to support regulatory oversight. [6/11/26]
- Bank Regulators Remove Reputation Risk References from Guidance
Federal banking regulators jointly updated interagency supervisory documents to remove references to reputation risk, reinforcing that bank supervision should focus on material financial risks rather than potentially subjective concerns that could affect lawful businesses or individuals based on protected beliefs, speech, or activities. [6/4/26]
- FDIC Updates FAQs on Official Signs and Advertising Requirements
The FDIC has released a set of FAQs (updated as of May 13th) regarding its regulations on official signage, advertising requirements, and the proper use of its name and logo, noting amendments effective January 29, 2026, with a compliance date of April 1, 2027. [5/20/26]
- Updated Federal Guidance on Model Risk Management
Federal banking regulators issued revised model risk management guidance that tailors expectations to institution size and complexity, emphasizes sound governance and validation practices, and rescinds earlier related guidance. [4/23/26]
- Regulators Lower Community Bank Leverage Ratio to Ease Compliance
Federal bank regulators finalized a rule lowering the community bank leverage ratio to 8% and extending compliance flexibility, aiming to reduce regulatory burden while maintaining safety and soundness. [4/23/26]
- OCC and FDIC Finalize Rule Eliminating Reputation Risk from Supervision
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation issued a final rule eliminating reputation risk from supervision, barring actions based on customers’ lawful activities or protected beliefs, and addressing concerns about unfair restrictions on access to banking services. [4/13/26]
- OCC Issues Rules to Ease Regulations for Community Banks
The OCC announced two final rules to reduce regulatory burden on community banks by eliminating outdated fair housing data reporting requirements and simplifying licensing procedures for corporate activities. [3/5/26]
- FFIEC Updates UBPR Interest Rate Risk Analysis Layout
The FFIEC will split the Interest Rate Risk Analysis section of the Uniform Bank Performance Report into two pages (9 and 9A) around March 2, 2026, to improve readability following expanded updates made in February 2025. [3/5/26]
- FFIEC Updates UBPR Peer Groups
The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council is updating the Uniform Bank Performance Report’s commercial bank peer group definitions around February 26, 2026, as part of a 2025 review led by the Task Force on Surveillance Systems. [2/20/26]
Agencies
- CFPB Ends Publication of Complaint Narratives
The CFPB will stop publishing unverified consumer complaint narratives and related visualizations in its Consumer Complaint Database, citing concerns that they may be misleading, unrepresentative, and unnecessarily harmful to companies while continuing to collect and share complaint information as required. [8/14/26]
- Navigating Regulation E and Nacha Rules
Financial institutions must apply Regulation E’s consumer-protection requirements alongside Nacha’s ACH operating rules to ensure compliant handling of consumer disputes, returns, recredits, and authorization issues. [8/13/26]
- FinCEN Identifies $5 Billion in Suspected Human Smuggling Activity
FinCEN found nearly $5 billion in suspected human smuggling-related financial activity from 2023–2025, identifying key indicators such as transactions along migration routes, unexplained sender-recipient relationships, and cash activity near the U.S. southwest border. [8/13/26]
- OFAC Settles Iran Sanctions Case with Rice Lake
OFAC reached a $60,764 settlement with Rice Lake Weighing Systems over eight apparent Iran sanctions violations involving its Italian subsidiary’s exports of weighing equipment to Iran through a UAE distributor. [8/12/26]
- FinCEN Ends U.S. Beneficial Ownership Reporting
FinCEN has permanently exempted U.S. companies and U.S. persons from Corporate Transparency Act beneficial ownership reporting and will delete previously submitted U.S. beneficial ownership data, while retaining reporting requirements for certain foreign entities. [8/11/26]
- FinCEN Fines UBSFS $125 Million for BSA Violations
FinCEN assessed UBS Financial Services Inc. a record $125 million penalty for repeated Bank Secrecy Act violations involving inadequate transaction monitoring, customer due diligence, and suspicious activity reporting, requiring enhanced AML remediation and independent review. [8/03/26]
- OFAC Reminds Institutions of Annual Blocked Property Reporting Deadline
OFAC reminded U.S. persons holding blocked property as of June 30, 2026, that they must file the Annual Report of Blocked Property through the OFAC Reporting System by September 30, 2026, in accordance with 31 C.F.R. § 501.603. [7/9/26]
- CFPB Finalizes Financial Data Transparency Standards
The CFPB finalized joint rulemaking under the Financial Data Transparency Act of 2022 to establish technical data standards that promote interoperability, consistency, and machine-readable reporting across federal financial regulatory agencies. [6/25/26]
- CFPB Enhances Consumer Complaint Portal Processes
The CFPB announced updates to its consumer complaint portal to improve effectiveness and reliability by standardizing complaint handling, strengthening identity protections, aligning processes with statutory requirements, reducing misuse, and increasing efficiency in managing consumer complaints. [6/25/26]
- FinCEN Proposes Expansion of Huione Group Restrictions
FinCEN proposed amendments to its October 2025 Huione Group Final Rule to include Cambodia-based H-Pay Service PLC and successor entities, aiming to prevent efforts to bypass restrictions and further protect the U.S. financial system from illicit funds linked to cyber heists and virtual currency scams. [6/25/26]
- FFIEC Releases 2025 HMDA Mortgage Lending Data
The FFIEC released updated 2025 HMDA mortgage lending data reported by 4,782 U.S. financial institutions, including the Snapshot National Loan-Level Dataset and other data products that allow users to access and customize mortgage lending information through FFIEC reporting tools. [6/25/26]
- FinCEN Advisory on Unauthorized Worker Employment Risks
FinCEN, together with federal banking regulators and the IRS, issued a joint advisory warning financial institutions about suspicious activity linked to the unlawful employment of unauthorized workers, including identity theft, payroll tax evasion, money laundering, and potential connections to transnational criminal organizations, and requested enhanced SAR reporting on such activity. [6/11/26]
