Trading Revenues

U.S. commercial banks reported $1.6 billion in revenues from trading cash and derivative instruments in the second quarter, compared to revenues of $721 million in the first quarter of 2008, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency reported in the OCC’s Quarterly Report on Bank Trading and Derivatives Activities.

Minority Banks

The OCC has reissued its Policy Statement on Minority-Owned National Banks. “We reissued the statement in part to update it and take account of changes in the business environment in which minority national banks operate,” said Comptroller of the Currency John C. Dugan. “But I also wanted to reissue the statement to reaffirm my own commitment — and that of the OCC — to minority-owned institutions.”

Debt-Settlement Industry

The Federal Trade Commission staff will hold a workshop on September 25, 2008, to explore the growth of the for-profit debt-settlement industry and to analyze how this model is affecting consumers and lenders. The event is free and open to the public; pre-registration is not required.