How Are Small Banks Faring Under Dodd-Frank?

Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Thursday, February 27, 2014

A new paper form the Mercatus Center at George Mason University finds that the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 has significantly affected small banks and their customers. In a survey distributed to 200 small banks, a large majority of respondents viewed Dodd-Frank as more burdensome than the Bank Secrecy Act. Participating banks reported compliance costs had substantially increased in the wake of new regulations as banks hired new compliance personnel or increased their reliance on outside experts. The survey also indicated the increased regulatory burdens will cause small banks to reconsider their product and service offerings, including the possibility of discontinuing residential mortgages and overdraft protection.