Last week, Fitch Ratings announced the launch of new ESG ratings system, which is intended to use a "clear methodolog[y]," of a "full assessment of ESG performance" that "allow[s] for detailed comparability." This...more
Back in the febrile, hyperventilated times that birthed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (blessedly known simply as Dodd-Frank), one of the issues that energized the activists’ intent on “fixing”...more
U.S. Financial Industry Developments - CFTC and SEC Announce Approval of New MOU - On June 28, 2018, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") and the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") announced that...more
U.S. Financial Industry Developments - Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act - The "Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act," signed by the President on May 24, amends...more
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act: FFIEC's Revised 'A Guide to HMDA Reporting: Getting It Right!' On March 14, 2018, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency published an updated resource providing guidance for complying...more
Looking Out for Main Street: SEC Focuses on Retail, Cybersecurity and Cryptocurrency - The Commissioners and senior officials of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC" or "Commission") addressed the public on...more
OFR Issues Report Challenging Standard for Identifying Systematically Important Banks - On October 26, 2017, the Office of Financial Research ("OFR"), an arm of the Treasury Department, issued a Report of its Director that...more
Agencies Propose Simplifying Regulatory Capital Rules - On September 27, 2017, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced a proposed...more
FHFA Updates Progress on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Credit Risk Transfer Programs - On July 26, 2017, the Federal Housing Finance Agency released an update on the credit risk transfer programs of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae...more
Federal Reserve and FDIC Post Resolution Plans for Eight Major Financial Firms - On July 5, 2017, the Federal Reserve Board (the "Board") and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") posted the public portions of...more
Financial Industry Developments - Fee Rate Advisory #3 for Fiscal Year 2017 - On May 31, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") announced that starting July 4, 2017, the fee rates applicable to most...more
Financial Industry Developments - SEC Adopts Jobs Act Amendments - On April 5, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") announced that it has adopted amendments to increase the amount of money companies can...more
Financial Industry Developments - CFPB Proposes to Provide Flexibility in Collecting Information - On March 24, 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ("CFPB") released a proposal to amend Equal Credit...more
Financial Industry Developments - SEC Adopts T+2 Settlement Cycle for Securities Transactions - On March 22, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted an amendment to Rule 15c6-1(a), shortening the...more
SEC Approves Rules to Ease Investor Access to Exhibits in Company Filings - On March 1, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted to adopt rule and form amendments that will require issuers to include a...more
CFTC Indicates Willingness to Help Incubate Fintech - On February 21, 2017, J. Christopher Giancarlo, the acting chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), has diverged from other U.S. federal...more
Financial Industry Developments - Federal Reserve Board Announces Finalized Rule Adjusting the Board's Maximum Civil Money Penalties - On January 18, 2017, the Federal Reserve Board announced that it was adjusting...more
All those traders excited about a burgeoning US economy ahead may want to keep an eye on the commercial real estate market, which is seeing a rise in defaults and delinquencies as pre-crisis 10-year loans come due....more
Financial Industry Developments - Agencies Issue Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Enhanced Cyber Risk Management Standards - On October 19, 2016, the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance...more
The weekend’s business news was dominated by the word that AT&T has agreed to buy Time Warner for $85.4 billion in the biggest yet in a series of telecomm mergers....more
Financial Industry Developments - The CFPB Publishes Final Rule for Prepaid Accounts - On October 5, 2016, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the "CFPB") finalized comprehensive consumer protections for...more
UK FCA Policy Statement on Sponsor Competence and Consultations on Joint Sponsors and Sponsor Conflicts - On September 26, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published consultation paper CP14/21, incorporating its...more
Bank of England Publishes Statement on Enforcement Action Against Lloyds Bank PLC and Bank of Scotland PLC - On July 28, the Bank of England published a statement on Financial Conduct Authority enforcement action...more
ESMA Reports on Information that Competent Authorities Should Provide to it Under the AIFMD - The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), has published a final report of technical advice for the European...more
In This Issue: CFPB Final Rule Amendments to Ability to Repay and QM Rule; Extension of Loan Modification Programs; Freddie Mac $1 Billion Performing Modified Loan Securitization; FinCEN Guidance on Virtual Currency...more