It is Time for Wall Street to Pay its Fair Share
March 30, 2012 – 9:52 am | Comments Off

As most Americans struggle to pay their share, we can’t help but notice that Wall Street is not. Many of the economic problems we face today, from deficits to unemployment, were in large part created by …

Read the full story »
AFR in the News: Peter Barnes – Public Interest Groups Using Ex-Goldman Exec Op-Ed in Fight for Tougher Wall Street Rules
March 16, 2012 – 9:04 am

“Public interest advocates in Washington want to turn former Goldman Sachs executive Greg Smith into their poster child for tough new rules for Wall Street. …Public Citizen and the AFL-CIO are part of a coalition, Americans for Financial Reform, that is pushing regulators to crack down on financial firms. “

AFR in the News: Crowdfunding Proposal Hits Snag
March 16, 2012 – 7:40 am

“But consumer advocates, watchdog groups and some economists are raising alarms. Taken together, the JOBS Act’s various provisions represent a dramatic rollback of financial regulations that date back to the Great Depression, they argue. It would reverse protections enacted with the Dodd-Frank financial reforms, some warn. ‘We’re all for channeling capital to small businesses,’ said Marcus Stanley, policy director of Americans for Financial Reform. ‘At the same time, we have banks for a reason, as opposed to people standing on the street corner taking shares in companies. So you’ve got to strike a balance.’”

AFR and CFA Letter: Support the Reed-Landrieu-Levin Amendment to the JOBS Act
March 15, 2012 – 10:46 am

AFR and CFA sent a letter to the Senate, urging their support of the Reed-Landrieu-Levin amendment which addresses many of the concerns that we have with the House JOBS Act, which the Senate has taken up.

INVEST in America Act (S.A. 1833) vs. JOBS Act (H.R. 3606)
March 15, 2012 – 10:09 am

 INVEST in America Act (S.A. 1833) vs. JOBS Act (H.R. 3606)
Reed-Landrieu-Levin Amendment
Mar. 15, 2012
Seven Essential Fixes to the House Bill

The House bill would allow companies to advertise risky, less-regulated, unregistered private offerings to the general …

Floyd Norris, New York Times: Paving a Path to Fraud on Wall Street
March 15, 2012 – 9:29 am

 NEW YORK TIMES
March 15, 2012
Paving Path to Fraud on Wall St.
By FLOYD NORRIS
Nearly 20 years ago, Bankers Trust was riding high. The bank, based in New York, had become known as an expert in then-newfangled …

AFR in the News: Politicians In Washington Are Reading Greg Smith’s Letter Too
March 15, 2012 – 8:35 am

“Echoing Volcker himself, Americans for Financial Reform said the rule is aimed ‘precisely’ at the problems Smith alleges, and should provide fighting power from a lobby movement to soften the rule. ‘It is crucial that regulators are not intimidated or overwhelmed by this well-funded effort, but instead move ahead to implement the Volcker Rule that Congress intended – a strong rule that truly changes the toxic culture of proprietary trading,’ the group said in a statement. ‘Smith’s statement today, along with the mountains of evidence from the financial crisis, demonstrates yet again how much we need a Volcker Rule that works.’”