CalPERS Letter: Oppose the JOBS Act
Read the letter sent to Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System opposing the JOBS Act.
Monthly Archives: March 2012
This Week in Wall Street Reform
Click here to view this week’s highlights and lowlights in Wall Street Reform – March 10, 2012 – March 16, 2012.
Coates and Pozen: Bill to Help Businesses Raise Capital Goes Too Far
“The House voted 390 to 23 last week for a bill (PDF) to provide regulatory relief for small companies trying to raise capital. The bill is moving quickly through the Senate; no one likes unnecessary regulations that burden economic growth. But this bill does more than trim regulatory fat; parts of it cut into muscle. Small businesses will have a harder time raising capital if investors do not receive sufficient disclosures or other legal protections.”
SEC Commission Aguilar: Investor Protection is Needed for True Capital Formation
“Last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3606, the ‘Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act.’ It is clear to me that H.R. 3606 in its current form weakens or eliminates many regulations designed to safeguard investors. I must voice my concerns because as an SEC Commissioner, I cannot sit idly by when I see potential legislation that could harm investors. This bill seems to impose tremendous costs and potential harm on investors with little to no corresponding benefit.”
AFR in the News: Peter Barnes – Public Interest Groups Using Ex-Goldman Exec Op-Ed in Fight for Tougher Wall Street Rules
“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
“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
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)
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 public using billboards along the highway,
Floyd Norris, New York Times: Paving a Path to Fraud on Wall Street
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 derivative securities, and the profits were
AFR in the News: Politicians In Washington Are Reading Greg Smith’s Letter Too
“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.’”