To help with your writing efforts, here’s what people are looking for in Banking & Finance Law online. Trending topics culled from JD Supra, search analytics, social media conversations, and other sources:
Consider writing about:
Enforcement activity involving the Paycheck Protection Program; the program’s history and intent; problems that arose over the years with the program; how investigations and prosecutions of alleged PPP-related fraud have unfolded under the Biden and Trump administrations; how employers, lending institutions, or other entities can best defend themselves against fraud allegations involving the Paycheck Protection Program.
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A May 19th Executive Order on the financial services industry; what the Executive Order could mean for the overall industry, and for the fintech sector in particular; how the Executive Order aligns with other Trump administration actions regarding fintech firms.
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A federal judge’s final approval of a settlement of up to $1.2 billion that Discover Financial Services has agreed to pay over the misclassification of credit card accounts; what the misclassification entailed and whom it most affected; other legal issues surrounding Discover’s card misclassification mishap; and perhaps a wider-angle look at how credit card programs are regulated and overseen, and related enforcement trends.
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Notices of proposed rulemaking issued in April by U.S. financial regulators. What the proposed rule revisions would mean for efforts to curb money laundering and the financing of terrorism-related activities; practical takeaways regarding financial institutions’ compliance obligations, regulators’ priorities, and likely triggers for enforcement actions; background information regarding the frequency or scale of money laundering activities and financial transactions suspected of having links to terrorism.
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M&A activity in the financial services industry, in the country or region of your choice; specific deals worth knowing about; key factors driving M&A plans in the financial services industry right now; challenges facing financial services industry M&A deals in the current landscape; and perhaps some practical guidance on executing a successful M&A deal. and overcoming antitrust arguments or other opposition to M&A plans.
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Trends involving the World Bank Group; what to know about the World Bank Group’s history, authority, and spheres where it is most active; noteworthy enforcement or sanction developments or related trends; compliance priorities for entities that receive funding from the World Bank Group (or that hope to do so).
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The U.S. Department of Justice’s announcement of charges brought against the Southern Poverty Law Center for alleged financial crimes, including wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. What are the likely obstacles ahead for either side in this case? How unusual are these charges against an organization with SPLC’s history? Should other activist organizations fear similar charges being brought against them during the Trump administration? If so, what should other organizations be doing to make sure their financial houses are in order while waiting to see how the case against the Southern Poverty Law Center plays out?
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The potential for Iran-affiliated cyberattacks on U.S.-based or aligned financial institutions in response to U.S. military attacks on Iran; how Iran-linked hackers have acted against perceived foes in the past; what financial regulators are warning about in light of the current international conflict; related obligations on the part of financial institutions; what the financial sector has learned from past experiences with Iran-backed cyberattackers, and how contemporary cyberthreats and safeguards compare to those of yesteryear; what financial institutions should be watching for, and doing, right now to evaluate – and, if needed, strengthen – their cybersecurity defenses and mitigate related liability risks.
Related information:
https://www.bankingdive.com/news/bank-cyber-risk-iran-war-regulators-cybersecurity/814564
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A joint proposed rule issued on April 8 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC); main focus of the proposed rule; what the rule could mean for stablecoin issuers’ compliance obligations and other duties.
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A proposed rule released by the U.S. Department of Labor on March 31 regarding defined contribution plans; intent of the proposed rule; the rule’s potential implications for plan fiduciaries, fiduciary duties, additional compliance obligations, and litigation risks; best practices for plan fiduciaries in light of the DOL’s proposed rule.
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Draft rules released on March 19 by federal banking regulators regarding bank capital; what the three proposals, if implemented, would mean for capital requirements; how significant a shift these changes could represent, and how they compare to historical standards in the United States and/or to current standards in other countries; who would be most affected by the rule changes; potential timeline for the proposals’ implementation.
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A March ruling by a federal appeals court regarding a Biden-era program for student loan borrowers; what the ruling means for the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan and participants in the program; new guidance from the U.S. Department of Education in the wake of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling; what else individuals with outstanding student loans should know about their options and obligations; how student loans and debt have been trending in recent years;
Related information:
https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2026/0328/affordability-save-plan-student-loans-debt
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/30/student-loan-borrowers-deadline-save.html
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The status of a Financial Crimes Enforcement Network rule regarding reporting requirements for certain residential real estate transactions; what to know about a March 19 ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas striking down the rule; basis for the court’s ruling; whether FinCEN is expected to appeal the ruling; how affected individuals and entities should proceed at this point, given the fluctuating regulatory situation.
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Guidance released on March 17 by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the application of federal securities laws to crypto assets; purpose of the two bodies’ interpretive release; key points in the guidance and how much of a shift they represent in the regulatory landscape; the guidance’s overall significance and potential impact on participants in the crypto sector.
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A $31.5 million settlement over data breaches affecting Flagstar Bank; what to know about the cause of, and fallout from, the breaches; what this case illustrates regarding third-party cybersecurity risks and how they may affect financial institutions, their customers, and employees; additional takeaways from this case on best practices involving vendors and involving data security on a broader basis.
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Proposed rules recently issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) regarding the implementation of the GENIUS Act (the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act); significance of this OCC action; what the proposed rules indicate regarding federal regulators’ evolving approach to digital assets, and to payment stablecoins in particular; what else stands out to you about the OCC’s proposed rules.
Related information:
https://www.occ.treas.gov/news-issuances/news-releases/2026/nr-occ-2026-9.html
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-03-02/pdf/2026-04089.pdf
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A residential real estate reporting rule released by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN); factors driving the imposition of the rule; when the rule takes effect; individuals, entities, and transactions most impacted by the rule; key deadlines and other important compliance obligations to be aware of; potential penalties for non-compliance; how to address penalties after the fact.
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Tax treatment of proceeds from crowdfunding campaigns; common misconceptions or other potential pitfalls on the part of individual or business recipients of crowdfunding donations; how these funds are regarded by taxation authorities (in the jurisdiction of your choice); best practices as regards recordkeeping, documentation, reporting, etc.
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New restrictions by the Small Business Administration on eligibility for loans made under the agency’s 7(a) program; the program’s history, main focus, and whom it has typically benefited; whom the new limitations apply to; when the new rules take effect, and whether they apply retroactively; potential penalties for non-compliance; how the new rules stand to affect existing or envisioned small businesses; potential grounds for lawsuits over the new SBA rules.
Related information:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sba-loan-rule-change-permanent-residents
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A $10.2 million settlement that Credit One Bank will pay to resolve California district attorneys’ lawsuit over the bank’s debt collection practices; debt collection activities that caught the DAs’ attention; what constitutes questionable or illegal debt collection practices; enforcement trends on this front; what businesses or individuals faced with debt collection pressures should know about their rights and protections under the law and potential avenues for mitigating debt collection efforts or for reducing debt or for reaching an agreement with lenders.
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Legal wrangling over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Residential Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing rule; how PACE financing works, whom it’s intended for, and eligibility criteria; reasons for an industry group’s challenge to the CFPB rule; where the rule stands now; what else interested property owners should know about this form of financing, the CFPB rule, its pros and cons for various situations, potential financing alternatives aimed at encouraging energy efficiency; and perhaps a cautionary note regarding scam attempts by fraudsters who try to portray themselves as legitimate PACE entities, and how individuals or businesses can protect themselves against these types of scams.
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The rise of prediction markets; what they consist of, how they work, and how they are defined; how prediction markets are regulated, on either the federal or state level; top concerns being raised regarding prediction markets, whether for direct participants or otherwise; existing lawsuits over prediction market activities; potential for increased scrutiny of, or enforcement actions regarding, prediction markets; any relevant comparisons between prediction markets, gambling, and the gaming industry.
Related information:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/12/prediction-markets-polymarket-kalshi-online-gambling
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Federal Trade Commission actions involving payment processing company Cliq Inc. and two of its operators; reasons why the FTC is seeking nearly $53 million in customer relief from the company; what this case may illustrate regarding federal authorities’ pursuit of suspected fraud by financial entities; related enforcement trends worth knowing about.
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The status of lawsuits against banks by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking activities; which banks are facing such lawsuits; nature of the claims being made against the banks; next steps for these claims; how current cases compare to sex abuse survivors’ settled lawsuits against other banks; what to know about banks’ obligations to monitor for, and respond to, suspicious account activity, whether generally speaking or involving coerced customer behavior or strictly referring to suspected human trafficking; what to know about laws, enforcement actions, and regulatory trends involving financial institutions and human trafficking.
Related information:
https://www.bankingdive.com/news/bank-of-america-epstein-case-rakoff-bofa/812103
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New scrutiny that “buy now, pay later” lenders are facing; why state attorneys general are investigating these types of lenders; what potential or existing customers should know about the pros and cons of “buy now, pay later” systems, either in and of themselves or in comparison to other money management options; how regulation and oversight of “buy now, pay later” companies may be changing under the second Trump administration.
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M&A activity in the banking and financial services industry, in the country or region of your choice; how M&A volume in recent periods compares to that in prior years; any emerging trends in terms of type of entities undertaking a merger or acquisition, or factors driving M&A deals; what to know about the current antitrust landscape as it pertains to financial services.
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Trends or noteworthy recent developments involving debanking claims; whether the evolution of international crime and financial institutions’ compliance obligations over the years have led to a significant increase in debanking; best practices that financial institutions should follow before closing down a client’s account; potential missteps on either side of a relationship that may lead to a contentious debanking; how an account holder can contest an account closure.
Related information:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/27/muslims-being-debanked-banking-services-9-11-september
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A proposal recently floated by President Trump on social media to ban large investment companies from buying single-family houses; how institutional investment in that real estate sector has trended in recent years; how a ban on these investors would affect the real estate market, participants in the market, and related parties or industries; how such a ban would be approved and implemented; whether this idea has been tried previously (in the jurisdiction of your choice); any other new proposals that may be gaining steam, whether on the federal or state level, to try to make homebuying more affordable.
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Your choice of three or more noteworthy trends or developments from 2025 involving the financial sector; reasons for your choices; immediate or longer-term implications or potential impacts as we head into 2026; and any related practical guidance for impacted or interested parties. Consider whether to go wide-angle in your choice of topics, or whether to focus on a particular jurisdiction, entity, issue, trend (litigation, regulations, enforcement, etc.) or subset of the financial sector.
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President Trump’s criticisms of, or outright attacks against, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell; what to know about a federal criminal investigation that Powell is facing; any precedent for this type of action against a Federal Reserve chair; potential challenges ahead for either side in this face-off; your choice of assorted wider-ranging implications, such as executive powers, the Federal Reserve’s independence and the Fed’s future leadership and direction, and the overall economy.
Related information:
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/12/fed-chair-powell-investigation.html