Bank regulation


Bank regulation

The formulation and issuance by authorized agencies of specific rules or regulations, under governing law, for the conduct and structure of banking.

Bank Regulation

The laws and bureaucratic rules governing banking. Banks have regulations at the federal, state, and sometimes local levels. Examples of bank regulations include capital requirements and limits on interest rates. Member banks of the Federal Reserve are subject to further regulations, such as the requirement to buy stock in the Federal Reserve System. Proponents of bank regulations state that they help maintain consumer confidence in banking, which in turn helps keep the economy running smoothly. Critics maintain that most bank regulations create market distortions and hamper economic growth. Perhaps predictably, these two groups disagree on whether too little or too much bank regulation caused the credit crunch of the mid and late 2000s and the subsequent recession.