
Basel Endgame relaxed: U.S. banks to hold less capital and free funds
U.S. regulators proposed softened Basel Endgame capital requirements, cutting overall capital at large banks by about 4.8%, by about 5.2% for larger regional banks, and 7.8% for banks under $100 billion in assets, freeing billions for lending, dividends, and buybacks. The Fed, FDIC, and OCC will review and solicit feedback on the Basel draft, amid industry lobbying to ease rules; critics warn the changes may weaken safeguards as risks rise. Analysts estimate roughly $175 billion in excess capital could be repurposed.

