The Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced that it will not enforce its own rule on investment duties under ERISA. The rule makes it more difficult for investment fiduciaries to consider environmental, social,...more
In the News. Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) published its proxy voting guidelines updates for 2021, which include new and updated voting recommendations on federal forum and exclusive forum provisions in companies’...more
11/19/2020
/ Affordable Housing ,
Amended Regulation ,
Banking Sector ,
Board of Directors ,
Borrowers ,
Consent Order ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Governance ,
Debt Collection ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity ,
E-Signatures ,
EDGAR ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Exclusive Forum ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Fannie Mae ,
FHFA ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Final Rules ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Freddie Mac ,
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) ,
Interpretive Letters ,
Investment Management ,
Lenders ,
Loan Origination Funds ,
MNPI ,
Mortgages ,
Multi-Family Housing ,
No-Action Letters ,
Non-Public Information ,
OCC ,
Proxy Voting ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
In This Issue. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the single director leadership structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in a ruling that could have far-reaching implications for the CFPB and other...more
7/6/2020
/ Banking Sector ,
Broker-Dealer ,
CFTC ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Eviction ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Fees ,
FHFA ,
Final Rules ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinCEN ,
Flood Insurance ,
Forbearance Agreements ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Management ,
MNPI ,
OCC ,
OCIE ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Popular ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Removal For-Cause ,
Reversal ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Seila Law LLC v Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ,
Separation of Powers ,
Severability Doctrine ,
Single Director ,
Tenants
In This Issue. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) finalized its “Madden fix,” establishing a rule that codifies the “valid when made” principle for nationally chartered banks; the Securities and Exchange...more
6/4/2020
/ Borrowers ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
FDIC ,
Federal Reserve ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FHFA ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Investment Company Act of 1940 ,
Lenders ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
Madden v Midland Funding ,
Main Street Lending Programs ,
National Bank Act ,
No-Action Letters ,
OCC ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
SBA ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF)
In This Issue. The U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve the SAFE Banking Act, which would permit banks to serve cannabis-related businesses in states where it is legal; the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)...more
10/3/2019
/ Banking Sector ,
Cannabis Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
FDIC ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Minimum Salary ,
OCC ,
Popular ,
Real Estate Transactions ,
SAFE ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Editor's Note -
Busy Week for the Fed. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) was busy this past week, announcing that it would limit use of the “qualitative objection” in its Comprehensive...more
3/14/2019
/ CCAR ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
FFIEC ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FSOC ,
Minimum Salary ,
Over-Time ,
Regulation D ,
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) ,
Wage and Hour
Editor's Note -
Regulatory Relief, One Way or Another. It seems that banks may finally be the beneficiaries of meaningful regulatory relief and such relief is coming from several different sources. Yesterday, May 8, 2018,...more
5/10/2018
/ Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Creditors ,
Debtors ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Due Diligence ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
FinCEN ,
Lending ,
Repeal ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Editor's Note -
D.C. Circuit Strikes Down Key Pieces of FCC’s TCPA Interpretive Order. On March 16, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued its long-awaited decision in ACA International v. FCC, invalidating...more
Editor's Note -
A Tale of Two Agencies. On November 27, Joseph M. Otting was sworn in as the 31st Comptroller of the Currency. Mr. Otting seamlessly succeeded Keith A. Noreika, who became Acting Comptroller in May 2017...more
11/30/2017
/ Banks ,
Community Reinvestment Act ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Corporate Governance ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
FDIC ,
Federal Bank Regulatory Agencies ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) ,
Loans ,
Mortgages ,
OCC ,
Payday Loans ,
Proxy Season ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Small Business ,
TCPA
Editor's Note -
In This Issue. The Department of Labor (DOL) filed a Notice of Administrative Action seeking to delay the Fiduciary Rule until July 2019; federal banking agencies issued guidance on the capital treatment of...more
8/17/2017
/ Banking Sector ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Debt Collection ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
FDIC ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Investment Adviser ,
Joint Accounts ,
OCC ,
Robocalling
Editor's Note -
Memorial Day. On Memorial Day, we will be celebrating the men and women whose service and sacrifice ensures the preservation of freedom and opportunity across the United States. Rather than summarize the...more
5/25/2017
/ Banks ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Debt Collectors ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
FDIC ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FIRREA ,
Interest Rates ,
OCC ,
Ransomware ,
Reverse Mortgages ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Editor's Note -
Removal for Cause or Business as Usual? On April 5, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Richard Cordray testified before the House Financial Services Committee to give his semi-annual...more
4/12/2017
/ Affordable Housing ,
Banking Sector ,
Banks ,
Debit Cards ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
FDIC ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FFIEC ,
FHLB ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
JOBS Act ,
OCC ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Editor's Note -
Marching On. Notwithstanding the industry’s watch of the Senate’s confirmation of new leadership for the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the DOL proposed a delay...more
3/10/2017
/ Bank Holding Company ,
Custody Rule ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Excessive Fees ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Mergers ,
Mortgages ,
PHH Corp. v CFPB ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
XBRL Filing Requirements
Editor's Note -
A Not So New Tool for Reigning in Federal Regulations. President Trump has signed a Joint Resolution of Congress which “disapproves the rule submitted by the SEC relating to ‘Disclosure of Payments by...more
2/16/2017
/ American Bankers Association ,
Bankruptcy Court ,
Bitcoin ,
Chapter 7 ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dividends ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
FinTech ,
HMDA ,
Kickbacks ,
Lenders ,
Mortgage Lenders ,
Payday Loans ,
Rent-a-Tribe ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stress Tests ,
Trump Administration
Editor's Note -
No Short-Term Fixes. On February 3, President Trump signed an Executive Order and a Presidential Memorandum intended to provide a framework to “roll back” the Dodd-Frank Act (Dodd-Frank) and to review the...more
2/9/2017
/ Bitcoin ,
CCAR ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Debt Collectors ,
Debt Relief ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Executive Orders ,
FDCPA ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment Adviser ,
Lenders ,
OCIE ,
Presidential Memorandum ,
Retirement Plan ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stress Tests ,
Trump Administration
Editor's Note -
In This Issue.The SEC and FINRA released their examination priorities for 2017; the SEC’s Division of Investment Management issued an interpretative letter that would permit brokers to charge their own...more
1/19/2017
/ Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) ,
Bad Actors ,
Brokers ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit Card Surcharges ,
Credit Cards ,
Debt Collection ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Examination Priorities ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment Management ,
Mortgages ,
OCC ,
Payday Loans ,
Rent-a-Tribe ,
Sales Load Variations ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Trump Administration
Editor's Note -
Potential CFPB Reform in the Wake of the Election. The November 16 edition of the Roundup indicated that the Financial CHOICE Act (Act) may be a blueprint for legal changes affecting the financial...more
11/30/2016
/ C&DIs ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Controlling Stockholders ,
Debt Collection ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Energy Futures Holdings ,
Enforcement Actions ,
FCC ,
Financial Institutions ,
Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) ,
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) ,
Lead Paint ,
Loans ,
Minimum Salary ,
Over-Time ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Private Offerings ,
Rule 506 Offerings ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
TCPA ,
Text Messages ,
Wage and Hour
Editor's Note -
Investment Company Institute Publishes FAQ on SEC No-Action Letter Regarding Auditor Independence. On September 23, the Investment Company Institute (ICI) published a memorandum (ICI Memo) responding to...more
9/29/2016
/ CFCs ,
Commodities ,
Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Debt Collection ,
Debt Relief ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Exemptions ,
Federal Reserve ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinCEN ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Investment Trust Companies ,
IRS ,
Penalties ,
PFIC ,
Private Letter Rulings ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Public Comment ,
Scams ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Subpart F ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Regulatory Developments -
OFAC Updates Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Lifting Sanctions on Iran -
On June 8, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (OFAC) updated its...more
6/16/2016
/ Appeals ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Customer Funds Protection ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Offerings ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Preemption ,
Presidential Veto ,
Regulation A ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Regulatory Developments -
CFPB Proposed Rule to Limit Payday Lending and Other High Cost Loans -
On June 2, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed a rule designed to limit payday loans, auto title...more
6/9/2016
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Banks ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dodd-Frank ,
E*Trade ,
Federal Reserve ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
First Amendment ,
Payday Loans ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Usury
Regulatory Developments -
SEC Staff Updates 2014 Money Market Fund Reform FAQs -
On May 23, the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Investment Management published additional...more
Breaking News -
Solicitor General Files Brief in Madden v. Midland Funding -
On May 24, the U.S Solicitor General (SG) filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court (the Court) in the matter of Madden v. Midland...more
5/26/2016
/ Automotive Loans ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Department of Financial Services ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Depository Institutions ,
Due Diligence ,
Fair Housing Act (FHA) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
FDIC ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinCEN ,
Investment Companies ,
Madden v Midland Funding ,
Minimum Salary ,
Money Market Funds ,
National Bank Act ,
Non-GAAP Financial Measures ,
NPRM ,
OCC ,
Online Marketplace Lending ,
Payday Loans ,
Pleadings ,
Preemption ,
PSLRA ,
Reconciliation ,
Reverse Mortgages ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
State Law Claims ,
Unpaid Overtime ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Regulatory Developments -
DOL Issues Final Fiduciary Rule -
On April 6, the Department of Labor (DOL) unveiled its pre-publication final version of the long-awaited fiduciary rule (the Final Rule). Some of the more...more
4/7/2016
/ Banking Sector ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Community Banks ,
Corporate Governance ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
FDIC ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Final Rules ,
FinCEN ,
FSOC ,
Funding Portal ,
GE Capital Bank ,
Independent Directors ,
Innovation ,
Investment Adviser ,
Mary Jo White ,
OCC ,
Phishing Scams ,
Private Equity ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
SIFIs