Financials archive - The Capitol Forum

KKR: Life and Annuity Funds Steered into Natural Gas Project Are Latest in Trend of Affiliated Private Credit Deals

The private equity and asset management firms that have taken over much of the life and annuity (L/A) sector are loading the portfolios of policyholders and annuitants with private credit investments, a trend that has drawn growing concern from regulators, policymakers, and industry...

Feb 02, 2026 Read Now >

SoftBank/DigitalBridge: Deal Could Test Treasury’s Fast-Track Pilot Program for U.S. Allies

Japan’s SoftBank Group (TSE:9984) has filed its proposed $4 billion acquisition of DigitalBridge Group (DBRG) with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), according to sources familiar with the matter, setting up what could be an early test of a Treasury...

Jan 26, 2026 Read Now >

Tech/Media/Telecom Weekly: USTR Delivering Big Wins for Big Tech; Experts See Challenges to State AG Effort to Pause HPE/Juniper Integration; Uber, Yardi, RealPage Litigation Updates; Apple vs. App Store Legislation; Massachusetts Privacy Bill Outlook; Nexstar/Tegna Takes Another Hit; Bankers Concerned with AWS Security

We are always innovating here at The Capitol Forum, and we want to introduce our first edition of the new Tech/Media/Telecom Weekly. In this edition: Trade Policymakers Outlook: As trade fight between Trump and Europe over Europe’s digital sovereignty rages, Big Tech has already...

Dec 02, 2025 Read Now >

Kalshi: Prediction Platform May Have to Block Access for Nevada Users

A federal judge said Friday that he was considering reversing a prior decision that had allowed prediction market operator Kalshi to continue offering sports event-based contracts in Nevada while its legal battle with state gambling regulators plays out in court. After hours of oral...

Nov 14, 2025 Read Now >

Kalshi: Cracks in Legal Theory Beginning to Emerge After Early Court Victory

Kalshi, the U.S.-based prediction market operator that recently introduced sports betting to its platform, notched an early courtroom win in Nevada earlier this year, bolstering the notion that the company’s novel interpretation of the law could open the door for nationwide sports...

Oct 29, 2025 Read Now >

Dozens of Federal Judges Attended Antitrust Seminars Hosted by Big Tech-Funded Group, Records Show

Dozens of federal judges attended seminars in idyllic locales like Hawaii and Portugal held by a George Mason University (GMU) law school organization that received Big Tech funding, a Capitol Forum review of public records found. The university’s Antonin Scalia Law School, one of the...

Aug 13, 2025 Read Now >

Blackstone/TXNM: Activists May Oppose $11.5 Billion PE Buyout Over Self-Dealing, Environmental Concerns

New Mexican climate and consumer advocacy groups said they’ll likely oppose Blackstone’s (BX) proposed $11.5 billion acquisition of utility operator TXNM Energy (TXNM) over concerns the private equity firm would favor its own financial interests at the expense of ratepayers and the...

Aug 08, 2025 Read Now >

Providence Equity Partners/Cantaloupe: Deal to Consolidate Self-Described Micro-Market ‘Duopoly’ Could Draw Close Antitrust Scrutiny

Providence Equity Partners, in announcing its $848 million agreement to acquire Cantaloupe (CTLP), a self-service retail software and hardware rival, pitched the deal as combining companies with “complementary strengths.” But that’s not how Cantaloupe executives have always...

Aug 08, 2025 Read Now >

HPE/Juniper: As Fight Between DOJ Leadership and Antitrust Division Broils, Tunney Act Proceeding Looms

After DOJ’s suit to block HPE’s (HPE) $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks (JNPR) culminated in a highly unusual settlement, the consent decree faces one last barrier to becoming final: Tunney Act review by U.S. District Judge Casey Pitts. That’s typically a rubber stamp....

Jul 24, 2025 Read Now >

Merger Monthly: After Novel Omnicom/Interpublic, HPE/Juniper Remedies, is Everything Settleable?; Outlook for Key Transactions Including Getty/Shutterstock, Mars/Kellanova, and UnitedHealth/Amedisys

In the months after Inauguration Day, the Trump administration’s merger policy appeared to be slowly but surely rounding into form: To wit, meaningful continuity from the Biden administration (retaining the 2023 Merger Guidelines and updated HSR Form), coupled with substantive pull back...

Jul 10, 2025 Read Now >

Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company: Modified Coinsurance Transactions Obscure Company’s Financial Condition

Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company has reinsured nearly half of its in-force life insurance and annuity policies with an affiliate insurer in a series of transactions that have allowed it to upstream billions of dollars out of policyholders’ reach while maintaining the slimmest...

Jun 25, 2025 Read Now >

Influential Conservative Think Tank’s President Touts Legislation Targeting ACA, Medicaid Enrollment and Spending at House Hearing, Says Expansion Match Rate is Still a Problem

Brian Blase, the president of a conservative health policy group with links to the Trump administration, called on Congress at a June 25 House Budget Committee hearing to crack down on enrollments in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, de-incentivize states from expanding their...

Jun 25, 2025 Read Now >

BlackRock/Allete: PE Firm’s Attempted Utility Takeover Generates Opposition in Minnesota

A $6.2 billion deal that would hand BlackRock (BLK) control of Allete’s (ALE) Minnesota Power, the second-largest electric utility in the state, has prompted concerns that the private equity giant’s drive for returns would lead to higher rates, and less reliable and safe...

Jun 16, 2025 Read Now >

Privacy Policy: New State Laws and Enforcement Actions Target Collection of Children’s Data, Precise Geolocation

Nearly halfway through 2025 a flurry of new state privacy laws and enforcement actions are taking aim at invasive data collection practices, including the sale of precise geolocation and minors’ data, amid the continued absence of comprehensive federal privacy legislation. While policy...

Jun 16, 2025 Read Now >

UnitedHealth/Amedisys: DOJ, Parties Engaging in Serious Talks to Settle Case; Number of Divestitures Under Discussion

Prospects are brightening for UnitedHealth Group’s proposed takeover of Amedisys as DOJ and the parties’ representatives engage in serious negotiations to settle the department’s suit to block the $3.3 billion deal, sources familiar with the matter...

Jun 10, 2025 Read Now >

Visa, Mastercard Probe: EU Should Enforce Fair Fee Split, Terminal Provider Says

The European Commission should force Visa (V) and Mastercard (M) to make banks, card terminal providers and retailers pay their fair share of fees to break the stronghold of the two giant credit card...

Jun 04, 2025 Read Now >

The European Antitrust Agenda: EC Appetite Grows for In-Depth Probes; EU Courts to Hear Major Big Tech Appeals

Brussels hungry for phase 2 reviews. With just one in-depth merger investigation opened so far this year, the European Commission is signaling a renewed appetite for phase 2 investigations, according to sources familiar with the commission’s thinking. “The bar is very low” to...

Jun 03, 2025 Read Now >

Bancorp: Struggling Biotech Firm Steps in as Prospective Buyer of Foreclosed Aubrey Multifamily Property After Original Purchaser Twice Delayed Purchase

After The Bancorp (TBBK) failed to offload a 436-unit multifamily foreclosed property in Houston to the original prospective buyer, an unlikely purchaser—a flailing biotech firm—has acquired the right to close the...

May 29, 2025 Read Now >

Financials Friday: Flagstone’s Nonperforming Loan Level Referred to as ‘Frightening’; Crypto Threats Result in Democratic Support for Stablecoin Bill; Appeal to Vacate Real Estate Price-Fixing Settlement Alleges Widespread Circumvention as New Study Shows Commissions Remain High

Flagstar’s amount of nonperforming loans called “frightening.” U.S. banks reported billions more dollars in loans have gone 90 days or more without a payment, according to first-quarter data. These loans, categorized as “nonperforming,” span everything from car loans to credit...

May 23, 2025 Read Now >

FICO: A Simple Change Could Widen Access to U.S. Mortgages. Why Won’t Fannie and Freddie Make It?

Lenders and mortgage industry watchers say a simple change to allow competition in credit scoring for U.S. mortgages could help more people get real estate loans, but government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC) are dragging their feet. Veterans Affairs and...

May 21, 2025 Read Now >

The Asia Antitrust Agenda: SAMR Fines Pharma Suppliers for Price-Fixing; ACCC Kicks Off Omnicom/IPG Review; China’s Regulators Warn Food-Delivery Platforms Over Competition Concerns; Indian Supreme Court Issues Landmark Ruling in Abuse of Dominance Case

SAMR fines four pharmaceutical suppliers 354 million yuan for price-fixing. The Tianjin branch of China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced on May 9 that it had levied a total of 354 million yuan ($49 million) in penalties on four pharmaceutical suppliers for...

May 19, 2025 Read Now >

EC Deepens Probe into Visa, Mastercard Over Scheme Fees Paid by Retailers

The European Commission is deepening a preliminary probe into whether Visa (V) and Mastercard’s (MA) scheme and processing fees unfairly harm competition in the card payments market. Officials are looking at how the two dominant card networks set fees paid by acquirers such as Elavon...

May 02, 2025 Read Now >

U.S. v Google: Divesting Chrome Feasible, Not Burdensome, Computer Expert for DOJ Says

DOJ’s proposal that Google divest its Chrome browser is technically feasible, said a Harvard computer science professor appearing for the department in federal court...

Apr 25, 2025 Read Now >

As Scrutiny Over Alleged Anti-Competitive Pricing Gains Attention, Mortgage Credit Score Giant FICO Steps Up Lobbying

As elected officials and industry participants ramp up calls for an investigation into price hikes by Fair Isaac Corporation, the company is spending more money than ever to retain its position as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s sole credit-score...

Apr 23, 2025 Read Now >

Capital One/Discover Financial: New York Attorney General Will Not Sue to Stop Merger

New York Attorney General Letitia James has decided not to sue to block Capital One’s proposed takeover of Discover Financial, said sources familiar with the matter—likely removing the last obstacle for a transaction that federal banking regulators approved last...

Apr 21, 2025 Read Now >

President Trump’s Tariffs Could Cause Companies to Lower Ad Spend as Brands Look to Reduce Costs

Companies that are dependent on ad spend may see revenue drops as advertising budgets shrink due to President Trump’s tariffs, an escalating trade war with China, and lingering market uncertainty, a Capitol Forum investigation has...

Apr 14, 2025 Read Now >

Trump Tariff War Could Sink Hopes for Fannie, Freddie Privatization

Trade war market turmoil may doom efforts to sell off government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as deep-pocketed private investors feel the effect of the market rout and political support for further disruption to the mortgage market...

Apr 11, 2025 Read Now >

Bancorp: Missed Deadline to File a Replacement Annual Report Raises More Red Flags, Experts Say; Weak Internal Controls Continue Despite Previous SEC Charges

When The Bancorp retracted its annual report on March 4, it said that it expected to meet the March 18 extended deadline to file an updated version. But that date came and went, and Bancorp provided no update to investors about the status of its annual...

Mar 31, 2025 Read Now >

Capital One/Discover Financial: DOJ Refocuses on How Deal Would Affect Borrowers Without Credit Histories; Divided Over Strength of Case

DOJ has refocused its review of Capital One’s (COF) proposed takeover of Discover Financial (DFS) on how the $35.3 billion deal could harm consumers with no credit history after determining it wouldn’t have a strong enough court case to block the transaction based on staff’s...

Mar 28, 2025 Read Now >

Capital One/Discover Financial: DOJ Staff Finds Deal Would Be Anticompetitive in Subprime Sector

DOJ staff has determined that Capital One’s (COF) proposed $35.3 billion acquisition of Discover Financial (DFS) would harm competition in the subprime sector, sources familiar with the matter...

Mar 17, 2025 Read Now >

Labor Thursday: Labor Task Force at FTC Shows Focus on Worker Harm Continues Post-Biden; NLRB Incapacitation Could Open Door to State Labor Boards; Meador Promises Noncompete Enforcement; California Lawsuit Adds to Litigation Wave Against Globe Life

Labor Thursday is a weekly overview of competition and labor market issues and includes our analysis of the timing and priorities of the key agencies overseeing enforcement and rulemaking, including the Federal Trade Commission, Justice Department, and National Labor Relations Board. This...

Feb 27, 2025 Read Now >

Oscar Health: Forthcoming Rulemaking on ACA Could Create Risk by Reducing Marketplace Enrollment

A proposed rule from the Trump administration targeting the individual health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could significantly impact companies that depend on ACA Marketplace enrollees, including health tech and insurance company Oscar Health, the sixth-largest...

Feb 20, 2025 Read Now >

Bancorp: Sale of $82 Million in REBL Loans Raises Questions About How Much Risk Company Retained

On the last day of the year, Bancorp Bank, a subsidiary of The Bancorp (TBBK), closed on the sale of an $82 million Real Estate Bridge Loan (REBL) portfolio, collateralized by apartment buildings, the company disclosed in a recent SEC...

Feb 12, 2025 Read Now >

Oscar Health Accused of Misusing No Surprises Act to Delay Payments, Underpaying CA Health Systems

Oscar Health (OSCR), a health insurance technology company and the fifth largest insurer in the public health exchange market, faces several lawsuits accusing it of underpaying health providers or even failing to pay for medically necessary services, including emergency...

Feb 12, 2025 Read Now >

Capital One/Discover Financial: New York, California AGs Lead State Group Considering Suit to Block Deal

A multi-state coalition including New York and California is considering an antitrust suit to block Capital One’s (COF) proposed $35.3 billion acquisition of Discover Financial (DFS), sources familiar with the matter said. Enforcers at both the federal and state levels are wrapping up...

Feb 12, 2025 Read Now >

Bancorp: Property With $14.1 Million Loan Transferred to Newly Created Entity with Ties to Original Borrower

Bancorp Inc. (TBBK) recently transferred a $14.1 million loan originally issued in 2022 to finance The Dylan, a multifamily property in Fort Worth, Texas, to a newly created entity with ties to the original borrower, according to transaction documents signed by a person associated with...

Jan 30, 2025 Read Now >

Antitrust Agenda: Caffarra Conference Thursday; Analysis of Staffers from the Texas AG Joining National Economic Council; BlackRock Case’s Antitrust Policy Implications; Recap of Ferguson’s First Week as FTC Chair

Christina Caffarra’s conference “The Perfect Storm: A Time of Truth for Europe” is this Thursday, January 30. Cristina Caffarra’s annual must-attend conference on competition, trade, and industrial policy takes place this Thursday in-person in Brussels and livestreamed. Caffarra...

Jan 27, 2025 Read Now >

Capital One/Discover Financial: Acquirer Shortchanges Rescue Fund, FDIC Finds; OCC Backs Bank

Capital One is shortchanging a bank rescue fund meant to protect taxpayers from having to pay for a future Wall Street bailout, officials at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation have found, according to sources familiar with the...

Jan 24, 2025 Read Now >

The Bancorp Inc: Lender’s Handling of Loans to Troubled Real Estate Investment Firm Raises Questions About Diligence and Controls

A lawsuit filed last week by Bancorp Bank involving nearly $10 million in real estate bridge loans (REBL) for multifamily residential properties tied to a beleaguered investment company spotlights a history of questionable diligence in the bank’s handling of the...

Jan 23, 2025 Read Now >

Capital One/Discover Financial: New York AG May Confront Legal Headwinds With Suit to Block Deal if Federal Officials Approve It

New York Attorney General Letitia James would encounter legal barriers if she decides to sue to block Capital One’s (COF) proposed $35.3 billion acquisition of Discover Financial (DFS), according to industry and consumer advocate...

Jan 15, 2025 Read Now >

Money-Laundering Ring Opened Phony Accounts with Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Chase, Crypto Platform

Colombian drug gang members opened bogus accounts at Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and crypto-currency firms Coinbase and Binance to launder millions of dollars, according to court...

Nov 07, 2024 Read Now >

Financials Friday: Banks Hope Delay on Debit Card Rule Signals Fed Wavering; Trump Advisor Proposes Appointing ‘Shadow’ Fed Chair to Undercut Powell; TD Bank Pays $3 Billion and Caps Assets to Settle Money Laundering Charges; Real Estate Broker Warns of ‘Catastrophic’ Litigation if Industry Abandons Mandatory MLS Listings

It’s been nearly a year since the Federal Reserve proposed lowering the costs of debit card swipe fees and big banks hope the delay might mean the proposal is in trouble. The Fed capped swipe fees at 21 cents plus a small fraction of the transaction amount back in 2011. For more than a...

Oct 11, 2024 Read Now >

Brookfield: Post-Acquisition Dividends and Restructuring Removed $3.8 Billion From Retirement Security Insurer; Assets Moved Out of the Direct Reach of Policyholders and Regulator

Stockholder dividend-taking and a rapid growth in American National Insurance Company’s annuity business leaves policyholders’ retirement security at risk, a Capitol Forum investigation has...

Oct 10, 2024 Read Now >

The Bancorp Inc: Company Downgraded $87 Million in Real Estate Bridge Loans Last Quarter; After 2019 and 2022 Enforcement Actions, Recent Bancorp Transactions Could Raise Red Flags at SEC

The Bancorp, Inc. (TBBK) quietly downgraded $87 million in real estate bridge loans (REBL) last quarter and may be extending concessions to more of these loans than disclosed, according to a Capitol Forum review of Bancorp’s filings and earnings call...

Aug 23, 2024 Read Now >

T-Mobile/Metronet: German-Owned Company’s Pattern of Telecom Acquisitions Will Likely Concern CFIUS, Experts Say

Telecommunications giant T-Mobile US’s (TMUS) ambitious 50/50 joint venture with private equity giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) to acquire U.S. fiber Internet provider Metronet raises concerns that could lead to an extended U.S. national security review, experts...

Aug 16, 2024 Read Now >

Financials Friday: Bank of America Faces Fed Scrutiny for Alleged Anti-Money Laundering Failings; Texas Judge Stymied in Moving Lawsuit Against CFPB Rule; Mortgage Lenders Sue Equifax in Monopoly Case; Regulator Launches Inquiry into Junk Fees; Visa, Mastercard Reach Settlement in Antitrust Class Action

Financials Friday: Bank of America Faces Fed Scrutiny for Alleged Anti-Money Laundering Failings; Texas Judge Stymied in Moving Lawsuit Against CFPB Rule; Mortgage Lenders Sue Equifax in Monopoly Case; Regulator Launches Inquiry into Junk Fees; Visa, Mastercard Reach Settlement in...

May 31, 2024 Read Now >

Financials Friday: BNPL Industry Has Mixed Response to New CFPB Regulation; Lawsuits Loom Over Fed’s New Debit Interchange Fee Cap; Synapse Collapse, Frozen Fintech Accounts Mark ‘Watershed’ Moment for BAAS; FDIC Chairman to Step Down; OCC Issues Enforcement Action Against Comerica Bank & Trust

Buy now, pay later industry issues mixed responses to new CFPB regulation. The buy now, pay later (BNPL) industry is issuing responses ranging from outright criticism to muted support for a new interpretive rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) that will regulate these...

May 24, 2024 Read Now >

Financials Friday: Supreme Court Upholds CFPB Funding Structure—Cases Against Credit Acceptance Corp, MoneyLion in Focus; Future Uncertain for Bank Capital Overhaul Before Election; Title Insurance Mobilizes to Oppose White House on Fees

Supreme Court upholds CFPB funding structure—cases against Credit Acceptance Corp, MoneyLion in focus. The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is constitutional, delivering a win for the Biden administration’s...

May 17, 2024 Read Now >

MoneyLion: Dark Patterns in the MoneyLion Mobile App Appear to Steer Customers Into Tipping and Paying Fees That are Critical to Company’s Growth

MoneyLion (ML), a nonbank financial technology company that offers payday advances, appears to deploy manipulative design techniques in the company’s mobile app to steer consumers into paying optional fees and tips that may not be in their best interest, a Capitol Forum investigation...

May 10, 2024 Read Now >

MoneyLion: Former Company Employees Describe Culture of Weak Fraud Controls

MoneyLion (ML), a nonbank financial technology company, did not prioritize fraud control and compliance with banking laws and regulations, according to five former MoneyLion employees who spoke with The Capitol...

Apr 29, 2024 Read Now >

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