Pending home sales fell 0.4% in July from the prior month, the National Association of Realtors said. The pending home sales index—a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings—decreased to 71.7. Year over year, pending transactions were up 0.7%.
The OCC said it is continuing to review thousands of documents and consumer complaints but claimed to find instances where banks may have restricted access.
ABA submitted a list of principles to guide any legislation relating to artificial intelligence in financial services, stressing that Congress must pass comprehensive laws establishing an AI risk management framework with strong preemption of state requirements.
FinCEN assessed a $3.5 million civil penalty against the former cryptocurrency services provider Paxful for Bank Secrecy Act violations and issued a reminder for financial institutions of their anti-money laundering obligations when dealing with virtual currencies.
The Federal Open Market Committee voted to lower the target range of the federal funds rate by 25 basis points, to 3.5%-3.75%. However, three FOMC members voted against the cut.
The 2026 bank M&A outlook
The ROAD to Housing Act is a package of bills aimed at improving housing affordability. House Republicans opposed attaching it to the defense bill, arguing that they want a say in shaping housing policy.
