Fed Moves to Ease Capital Rules for Banks

The move could free up billions for lending, as Fed Chair Jerome Powell says post-crisis banking rules may now be due for ’recalibration.’

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks at a news conference following the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in Washington on March 18, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

U.S. regulators have released plans to relax capital requirements for the country’s largest banks, a move that could unlock billions in lending.

Wall Street’s biggest lenders could face lighter capital requirements under proposals released by the Federal Reserve and other U.S. regulators on March 19, a rollback of post-2008 banking rules.