On July 26, a financial firm accepted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC) from FINRA for allegedly charging unfair prices in corporate and municipal bond transactions and for allegedly failing to establish a...more
In the first half of 2024, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued several fines and suspensions against participants in the municipal market, including for violations of its registration, reporting,...more
2023 MID-YEAR REVIEW - In the first half of 2023, several rule changes have been proposed by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including changes to...more
The focus on quantifying LIBOR exposure and related disclosure requirements may be a ‘red herring.’ The real issues are (i) whether the LIBOR transition is merely an excuse to change the effective interest rates of financial...more
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Fixed Income Market Structure Advisory Committee (FIMSAC) held its latest meeting on February 10, 2020. The SEC formed FIMSAC to provide advice to the SEC on the efficiency and...more
SEC Enforcement Action against Private Equity Fund Adviser - On June 1, 2016, the SEC announced that a private equity fund adviser and its principal owner agreed to pay more than $3.1 million to settle SEC charges that,...more
Direct lending by banks has proliferated in the $3.7 trillion municipal bond market as states, local governments and non-profits find that they can borrow, in the form of direct loans, at interest rates comparable to those on...more
Although the MSRB’s new best execution rule is generally consistent with FINRA’s, differences exist and questions remain regarding FINRA’s examination and enforcement of the requirements....more