As a supplement to its existing QuickScore data verification portal, ISS has announced a new Equity Plan Data Verification portal. Equity Plan Data Verification will provide eligible companies with an opportunity to preview,...more
The staff of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management (the “Staff”) granted no-action relief with respect to the rebate of advisory fees by Amerivest Investment Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) to eligible clients for which...more
The SEC settled administrative proceedings against Structured Portfolio Management, L.L.C., a hedge fund adviser (the “Adviser”), and two of its affiliated advisers, SPM Jr., L.L.C. (“Adviser A”) and SPM IV, L.L.C. (“Adviser...more
The OCC issued final guidelines (the “Final Guidelines”) that call for strengthened governance and risk management practices at the following categories of large financial institutions with $50 billion or more in average...more
The staff of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management (the “Staff”) granted no-action relief for the implementation of an adjustment in the fee paid by a mutual fund’s adviser to the fund’s subadviser, without shareholder...more
The SEC adopted new rules and rule amendments (collectively, the “Final Rules”) that impose a range of additional requirements on credit rating agencies registered as nationally recognized statistical rating organizations...more
The SEC announced that it adopted new rules and rule amendments (collectively, the “Final Rules”) that revise the offering process, disclosure and reporting requirements for publicly-offered asset-backed securities (“ABS”). ...more
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) posted a summary of a settlement with a bank (the “Bank”) relating to a transaction that OFAC alleged was processed by the Bank in violation of OFAC’s Sudanese Sanctions...more
The OCC released an interpretive letter (“Letter #1142”) in which it concluded that a national bank’s proposal to arrange for third-party repair and maintenance service providers to service on-lease railcars and act as an...more
Securities registration fee rates for mutual funds registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) will be decreasing nearly 10%, effective October 1, 2014. ...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) published a request for information (the “RFI”) regarding the use of brokerage windows, self-directed brokerage accounts, and similar arrangements (collectively referred to in this article...more
The SEC announced an initiative in which its Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) plans to examine a significant percentage of newly registered municipal advisors over the next two years using an approach...more
The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) issued Revenue Ruling 2014-24 (the “Ruling”). The Ruling amends Revenue Ruling 81-100, the ruling that established the requirements applicable to a tax-qualified group trust. The...more
The New York State Department of Financial Services (“DFS”) entered into a settlement agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”) with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”) related to consulting services performed by PwC for the...more
The FRB recently issued an interpretive letter (the “FRB Letter”) in which the FRB granted an individual director (the “Director”) an exemption from the prohibition of the Depository Institution Management Interlocks Act (the...more
On July 22, 2014, the OCC issued a bulletin (OCC Bulletin 2014-35, the “Bulletin”) in which the OCC describes the special characteristics of mutual federal savings associations (“Mutual FSAs,” and, collectively with...more
At a meeting held on July 23, 2014, the SEC voted 3-2 to adopt amendments (the “Amendments”) to various regulatory requirements affecting money market funds (“MMFs”). The Amendments, which are set forth in SEC Release No....more
The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) issued a memorandum (the “Memorandum”) with guidance for registered broker-dealers and investment advisers on various non-exclusive means of verifying an...more
The staff of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance added to its Compliance and Disclosure Interpretations posted on the SEC website new Questions 255.48-255.49 and 260.35-260.38 which address (1) elements of the...more
After a one-year transitional period, the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) officially went into effect on July 22, 2014. ...more
The FDIC issued guidance (the “Guidance”; FIL-40-2014) to banks and savings associations that have elected S-corporation tax treatment (collectively, “S-corporation Banks” and each an “S-corporation Bank”) concerning the...more
Secretary of the Treasury Jacob J. Lew presented remarks at a conference hosted by CNBC and Institutional Investor in which he urged financial institutions to increase their cybersecurity defense efforts because cyber...more
The SEC’s Divisions of Investment Management and Corporation Finance issued Staff Legal Bulletin No. 20 (the “Guidance”) which provides guidance from the Division of Investment Management to investment advisers on their...more
The FDIC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (the “Proposed Rule”) that would revise the FDIC’s risk-based deposit insurance assessment system to reflect the final Basel III capital rule (the “Final Capital Rule”) adopted...more
The staff of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management issued IM Guidance Update No. 2014-7 (the “Guidance Update”) to provide guidance on how Rule 206(4)-2 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Custody Rule”)...more