Regulators just dropped some concerning findings. Preliminary investigation reveals nine major financial institutions may have crossed a line—turning away clients based on what industries they operate in, specifically those caught in political crossfire.

The banking watchdog's initial probe suggests these heavyweight players weren't exactly playing fair. They allegedly cherry-picked who deserves banking services, shutting out businesses tied to politically charged sectors. No names dropped yet, but the pattern's there.

What's particularly eyebrow-raising? This isn't about risk assessment or standard compliance checks. We're talking systematic exclusion of entire industry categories because they're politically touchy. That's a different ball game entirely.

Still early days in this investigation, but if these preliminary signs hold up under scrutiny, some of the banking world's biggest names could be facing serious questions about discrimination practices.