That said, some analysts have been surprised how quickly the bank was able to estimate an implied quantitative cost for what is essentially a qualitative and broad issue at the bank. In light of that, Wells Fargo passing its review on September 30th will not be a precise science.

Furthermore, there is also the question of long term damage and market share losses from the limit on growth and negative press, particularly at a time when rivals are freer to lend and grow than they have been for years. This is highlighted by rival JP Morgan's recent push into new markets -- many where Wells Fargo has a big presence.

Should they fail the review later this year, and the cap on assets remains, then the extent of impact on Wells Fargo will be far more significant.

...

The Senate's plan calls for $473 billion in cuts from Medicare over 10 years and more than $1 trillion from Medicaid, which shouldn't be making anyone happy. However, according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate, the bill will also cut spending by more than $5 trillion over the next 10 years, although details are missing.

...

With the mid-term elections now only a year away, Republicans are clearly desperate. Having failed in their efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, and with no other legislative accomplishments to speak of, they are understandably worried about losing the majority in the House of Representatives next fall.

...

My point here is that when Republicans were trying to repeal Obamacare, voters made their voices heard, and both attempts failed as a result. This time around, we shouldn't expect the GOP to make the same mistakes they made last time around. In fact, we should expect Republicans to make almost any deal if doing so will make the bill pass.

...

The billion-dollar loss comes from the difference in the FDIC's obligations and what it can expect to collect from the assets. The last time the FDIC paid more than $1 billion to absorb losses was when two banks in Puerto Rico failed in 2010.

...

First NBC was founded in 2006 and proclaimed its mission to be helping Louisiana rebuild from Hurricane Katrina. The bank got in trouble in part because it became unusually reliant on projects that revolve around federal tax credits for low-income or less developed areas. The bank would finance projects and get tax credits good in the future. But regulators decided that First NBC was overstating the value of those tax credits, forcing the bank to write down their value. Regulators increased scrutiny and ordered the bank to raise capital, but the bank had to set aside another $86 million in the last three months of 2016 to cover increasing loan losses.

As part of this inevitable outcome, one which presages the company's eventual disintegration and likely liquidation, Bloomberg reports that the non-binding rescue loan with an unnamed counterparty will be secured by a portfolio of mortgage loans originated by Home Trust, the Toronto-based firm said in a statement Wednesday. Home Capital shares dropped by 61% in Toronto to the lowest since 2003, dragging down other home lenders. Equitable Group Inc. fell 17 percent, Street Capital Group Inc. fell 13 percent, while First National Financial Corp. declined 7.6 percent. In short, the Canadian mortgage bubble has finally burst.

...

First, the North Carolina commissioner, Ray Grace, issued a cease and desist order against the company after a determination that it "has engaged in, or is engaging in, or is about to engage in, acts of practices constituting violations of state and federal law and applicable regulations."

... On February 28, 2015, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, and Washington conducted a multi-state examination of the company covering operations from January 1, 2013 to the examination date. That examination identified several violations of state and federal law including consumer escrow accounts that could not be reconciled and willful and ongoing unlicensed activity in certain states. The examination also found that the company's financial condition was deteriorating.

The order alleges the company subsequently failed to respond to requests for information on its apparent unlicensed activity and company executives were warned the violations were unacceptable and would not be tolerated. OFC partially addressed these violations after a lapse of two years, but the Commissioner's order states that unlicensed activity is believed to continue in some jurisdictions.

...

In December 2016 OFC and state regulators entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which required OFC to retain an independent auditing firm to perform a comprehensive audit and reconciliation of all escrow accounts with a report submitted to and approved by the MMC by January 13, 2017.  On that date, the company informed the MMC that the $1.5 billion cost of that audit was beyond its financial capability and asked to sample 457 accounts out of the 2.5 million it had serviced over the initial audit period.  The company has also failed to provide a suitable going-forward business plan to address its financial condition.

The Cease and Desist Order requires OFC to immediately cease acquiring new mortgage servicing rights and acquiring or originating new residential mortgages until it provides a sufficient analysis of its financial condition and provides state regulators with a reconcilement of its escrow accounts showing that consumer funds are appropriately collected, accounted for, and distributed.  OFC has 20 days in which to request a hearing.

Sadly, this is a realistic outcome if you combine five to six percentage points of consolidation, a multiplier of 1.5 (especially as much of the consolidation is offsetting a fall in federal funding) and negative trend growth. There is a real risk that the coming contraction generates further outmigration, undermining the basis for any eventual recovery. Puerto Ricans are not required to stay on on-island. A shrinking population ultimately means a shrinking tax base.

...

Basically, Puerto Rico tried to avoid a draconian consolidation after its 2007 slump through running down pension assets (and for a while running up debt) and by taking advantage of Obama era policy changes--but now has run out of rope.

After 5.5 billion euros ($6.2 billion) of taxpayer money was injected into Hypo Alpe over five years, Chancellor Werner Faymann's administration decided on March 1 to stop supporting Hypo Alpe's bad bank, Heta Asset Resolution AG, when it was told Heta may need another 7.6 billion euros.