Jul29 Federal Reserve Holds Rates Steady as Dissent Grows

The Federal Reserve voted Wednesday to leave its benchmark federal funds rate unchanged at 3.50% to 3.75%, marking the fifth consecutive meeting without a change. While the decision was widely expected, the vote highlighted growing divisions within the Federal Open Market Committee.

Three regional Federal Reserve Bank presidents, including Cleveland Federal Reserve President Beth Hammack, dissented from the decision, favoring a 25-basis-point rate increase.

Jul22 US House Passes Main Street Capital Access Act with Strong Bipartisan Support
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Main Street Capital Access Act, a sweeping banking package designed to promote new bank formation, modernize bank supervision and provide meaningful regulatory relief for well-managed financial institutions.

Jul22 Another OBL Legal Victory: Ohio Supreme Court Protects Financial Institutions from Expansive Securities Liability

The Ohio Bankers League has secured another important legal victory for Ohio’s financial-services industry.

In Bitounis v. Interactive Brokers, L.L.C., Slip Opinion No. 2026-Ohio-2268, the Supreme Court of Ohio reversed the Eighth District Court of Appeals and reinstated the trial court’s dismissal of claims against Interactive Brokers. The Court held that a brokerage firm performing routine business activities for a customer after that customer unlawfully sold securities did not “participate or aid” in those sales and therefore could not be held jointly and severally liable under R.C. 1707.43(A).