Week of January 12 - 18, 2026

🗓️ January 12, 2026

• Agencies issue 2025 Shared National Credit Program report. Federal bank regulatory agencies released the 2025 Shared National Credit (SNC) report, indicating that credit risk associated with large, syndicated bank loans remains moderate. The report examined SNC loans originated on or before June 30, 2025, focusing on leveraged loans and stressed borrowers, with a total of 6,857 borrowers and $6.9 trillion in commitments, a 6 percent increase from the previous year. The percentage of loans requiring close management attention decreased to 8.6 percent, primarily due to growth in new commitments, while U.S. banks hold 45 percent of SNC commitments but only 22 percent of non-pass loans. 🔗 Read more
• Paul Tzur and David Morrell Named Deputy Directors of the Division of Enforcement. Washington D.C. - The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that Paul H. Tzur and David M. Morrell have been appointed as Deputy Directors of the Division of Enforcement. Mr. Tzur, who joined on January 6, 2026, will oversee enforcement in the Chicago, Atlanta, and Miami Regional Offices, while Mr. Morrell, who joined on January 12, 2026, will oversee the New York, Boston, and Philadelphia Regional Offices. Both individuals bring extensive experience in law and public service, with Mr. Tzur having a background in white collar defense and Mr. Morrell in civil litigation and government disputes. SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins and Director of the Division of Enforcement, Judge Margaret A. Ryan, expressed their enthusiasm for their appointments, highlighting their skills and dedication to protecting investors and markets. 🔗 Read more
• Chairman Selig Launches the CFTC Innovation Advisory Committee. Washington - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael S. Selig has launched the Innovation Advisory Committee (IAC), formerly known as the Technology Advisory Committee, to gather expertise and recommendations on innovation in financial markets. The IAC will include diverse viewpoints from the financial industry, regulatory bodies, financial technology providers, public interest groups, academia, and market infrastructure firms. Chairman Selig plans to nominate CEO Innovation Council participants as charter members and is seeking additional nominations, with submissions due by January 31, 2026. The IAC’s objectives include advising the Commission on the impact of technological innovation in financial services, derivatives, and commodity markets, and assisting in developing market structure regulations for emerging financial technologies. 🔗 Read more
• Agencies Issue 2025 Shared National Credit Program Report. Washington - Federal bank regulatory agencies released the 2025 Shared National Credit (SNC) report, indicating that credit risk associated with large, syndicated bank loans remains moderate. The report examined SNC loans originated on or before June 30, 2025, focusing on leveraged loans and stressed borrowers, with a total of 6,857 borrowers and $6.9 trillion in commitments, a 6 percent increase from the previous year. The percentage of loans requiring close management attention decreased to 8.6 percent, primarily due to growth in new commitments, while U.S. banks hold 45 percent of all SNC commitments but only 22 percent of non-pass loans. 🔗 Read more

🗓️ January 13, 2026

• Federal Reserve Board announces approval of application by Fifth Third Bancorp. The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday announced its approval of the application by Fifth Third Bancorp, of Cincinnati, Ohio, to acquire Comerica Incorporated, of Dallas, Texas. As a result, Fifth Third will indirectly acquire Comerica Bank, located in Dallas, Texas, and Comerica Bank & Trust, National Association, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 🔗 Read more
• Travis Hill Sworn in as the 23rd Chairman of the FDIC. Washington - Travis Hill was sworn in as the 23rd Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) after serving as Acting Chairman since January 20, 2025, and Vice Chairman since January 5, 2023. He was nominated by President Trump on September 30, 2025, and confirmed by the Senate on December 18, 2025, for a five-year term. Before joining the FDIC Board, Hill held various roles at the FDIC, the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Regions Financial Corporation, and holds degrees from Duke University and Georgetown University Law Center. 🔗 Read more
• EBA publishes hotfix for reporting framework v4.2. The European Banking Authority (EBA) has released a hotfix for its reporting framework version 4.2 to address technical issues identified after the final technical package. The hotfix includes corrections to sub-categories, refinements to validation rules, and updates to technical specifications to enhance reporting accuracy and consistency. The updated package and revised artefacts aim to facilitate seamless implementation by competent authorities and reporting institutions. 🔗 Read more
• ESMA’s Digital and Data strategies support supervision of EU financial markets. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has adopted a new Digital Strategy 2026–2028 and updated its Data Strategy 2023–2028 to enhance regulatory reporting and technology-driven supervision. These strategies aim to build EU digital synergies, improve operational efficiency, and establish a secure ecosystem, while also focusing on burden reduction and unlocking efficiency opportunities. Key actions include streamlining supervisory reporting, expanding the ESMA Data Platform, and implementing the MiCA joint supervisory tool for crypto-market monitoring. 🔗 Read more

🗓️ January 14, 2026

• The European Supervisory Authorities and UK financial regulators sign Memorandum of Understanding on oversight of critical ICT third-party service providers under DORA. The European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA, and ESMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bank of England, the Prudential Regulation Authority, and the Financial Conduct Authority to enhance cooperation in overseeing critical ICT third-party service providers (CTPPs) under the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). The MoU establishes principles and procedures for cooperation, information sharing, and coordination to improve third-party risk management and operational resilience in the EU and UK financial sectors. It was prepared in accordance with DORA Articles 36, 44, and 49, and an assessment confirmed the equivalence of the UK’s confidentiality regime with that in the EU. 🔗 Read more
• ESMA promotes clarity in communications on ESG strategies. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published a second thematic note on sustainability-related claims, focusing on ESG strategies, particularly ESG integration and exclusions. The note highlights the risk of greenwashing due to a lack of transparency in these terms and urges market participants to clearly define them. It also provides practical guidance with examples of good and poor practices in making sustainability claims. 🔗 Read more

🗓️ January 15, 2026

• Federal Reserve Board issues enforcement action with former employee of PrimeLending. The Federal Reserve Board announced a consent prohibition order against Aquana Raffington, a former employee of PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company in Dallas, Texas, due to conflicts of interest and fraud. 🔗 Read more
• J. Russell McGranahan Named SEC General Counsel. Washington D.C. - The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that J. Russell “Rusty” McGranahan has been appointed as the SEC General Counsel, overseeing legal expertise for the Office of the Chairman, Commissioners, and agency staff. Jeffrey Finnell, who served as Acting General Counsel, will continue as Deputy General Counsel. SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins expressed excitement about McGranahan’s experience and skills, particularly in securities and M&A law, and his role in strengthening capital markets and rulemaking. McGranahan, with a 30-year career, was previously the General Counsel of the U.S. General Services Administration and Focus Financial Partners, and has held significant roles at BlackRock and Skadden, Arps. 🔗 Read more
• SEC Charges Five Defendants and a Relief Defendant in connection with Alleged Multi-Million Dollar Fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission announced fraud charges against Texas resident Sumit Rai and three companies he controlled, SVN Med LLC, NVS Med Inc., and Onco Filtration, Inc., for allegedly misrepresenting investors and misappropriating at least $10.6 million in funds. Massachusetts resident Kim deMora was charged with aiding and abetting the fraud, while Cancer Check Labs, LLC, another company controlled by Rai, was charged as a relief defendant. The SEC’s complaint alleges that Rai and his companies falsely claimed their primary business was developing a method to filter circulating tumor cells, using investor funds for personal expenses instead of research and development. The SEC seeks permanent injunctions, disgorgement, civil penalties, and bars against Rai and deMora, with the case being handled by the SEC’s Boston Regional Office. 🔗 Read more
• SEC Charges Biopharmaceutical Company Consultant with Insider Trading. The Securities and Exchange Commission charged New Jersey resident Hong (John) Wang and his company, Precision Clinical Consulting LLC, with insider trading in C4 Therapeutics, Inc. stock. Wang allegedly used nonpublic information from his biostatistical consulting work to purchase C4 shares between November 20, 2023, and December 12, 2023, making $489,739 in profits after the company announced positive clinical trial results. The SEC’s complaint charges them with violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5, seeking disgorgement, prejudgment interest, permanent injunctive relief, and civil penalties against Wang. In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced criminal charges against Wang on January 14, 2026. 🔗 Read more
• EIOPA unveils its new strategy for the years ahead. The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has unveiled its new strategy for 2030, focusing on strengthening the single market, enhancing societal resilience, and improving regulatory and supervisory effectiveness amidst geopolitical, economic, environmental, and technological challenges. EIOPA aims to protect consumer rights and foster public trust by ensuring the stability and sustainable development of the insurance and occupational pensions sectors through unified supervision and effective enforcement of regulatory requirements. The strategy includes promoting high-quality supervision, strengthening risk assessment, and leveraging digital innovations to address critical protection gaps and enhance cross-sectoral collaboration. 🔗 Read more

🗓️ January 16, 2026

• Federal Reserve Board announces approval of application by Banco Inter, S.A.. The Federal Reserve Board on Friday announced its approval of the application by Banco Inter, S.A., of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to establish a state-licensed branch in Miami, Florida. 🔗 Read more
• SEC Obtains Final Consent Judgment as to Podcast Host Charged with Offering Fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission obtained a final consent judgment against Matthew Motil, who was accused of defrauding investors with false promises of low-risk, high-return promissory notes not fully collateralized by first mortgages. Motil was permanently enjoined from violating securities registration and anti-fraud provisions, restricted from certain securities transactions, and ordered to pay $2,967,535 in disgorgement plus $340,396 in prejudgment interest, which will be satisfied by a restitution order in a parallel criminal case. The criminal court sentenced Motil to 70 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $5,040,862. 🔗 Read more
• CFTC Obtains Federal Civil Monetary Penalties and Trading Bans in Two Cases; Brings Charges Against Unregistered Commodity Pool Operator. Washington - The CFTC announced several enforcement updates, including federal court consent orders imposing civil monetary penalties and trading/registration bans on Gregg Smith and Michael Nowak for spoofing in the precious metals futures markets, with both also ordered to cease and desist from further violating the spoofing prohibition. The CFTC also secured a federal court consent order against Peter Miller and Omerta Capital LLC requiring disgorgement and civil monetary penalties totaling over $335,000, along with trading and registration bans. In addition, the CFTC filed a complaint against Travis Ford and Wolf Capital Crypto Trading LLC, alleging they fraudulently solicited and accepted the equivalent of more than $10 million for an unregistered commodity pool, and seeking restitution, disgorgement, civil monetary penalties, and permanent bans. The CFTC reiterated its customer protection fraud advisories, urging the public to verify registration at NFA BASIC and report suspicious activity via its hotline, online tip portal, or the Whistleblower Office. 🔗 Read more