AFR sent a letter to members of Congress urging that they oppose HR 5405 and The Insurance Capital Standards Act of 2014. These pieces of legislation include numerous technical changes that could have significant impacts on regulators ability to enforce new financial rules, and they deserve full debate and consideration from regulatory experts before being passed under suspension of the rules.
AFR offered comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in response to their Request for Input on how consumers are using mobile financial services to access products and services, and manage finances. While mobile technology can enhance access to safer and more affordable technology for consumers, benefits will only be seen if technological systems are safe, fair, and honest. Regulators can help consumers—as well as those in industry—by establishing strong minimum standards.
AFR offered comments to the Federal Housing Finance Agency in response to their Request for Input related to g-fee policy and implementation. AFR encouraged FHFA to refrain from instituting any increases in g-fees or loan-level price adjustments (LLPAs) at this time.
“’This is a really important rule,’” said Marcus Stanley, policy director at Americans for Financial Reform. ‘Margin is the first line of defense in the derivatives market.’ The regulators made the changes to bring American margin rules in line with new international ones approved in 2013, and in response to public comments.
“’While it has taken us some time to get to this point, today’s action does represent significant progress,’ Thomas J. Curry, the comptroller of the currency, said in a statement.”
AFR issued a statement regarding new rules issued by banking regulators.
AFR joins our members in urging OCC to update preemption rules
AFR joined consumer organizations in urging the OCC to update its preemption rules to comply with Dodd Frank reduction of sweeping federal preemption of state consumer protection actions.
AFR issued a statement regarding the finalized rules issued by the SEC regarding asset backed securities and credit rating agencies.
“A bipartisan group of 15 legislators… has released a letter calling for stronger limitations on the use of Federal Reserve emergency lending powers. The Dodd-Frank Act mandated new limits on such emergency lending. Today’s letter strongly criticizes the Federal Reserve’s proposal to implement these new limits, saying that the proposal places ‘no meaningful restrictions’ on lending powers and leaves the door open to a future ‘backdoor bailout’ of Wall Street. AFR welcomes this letter and applauds the efforts of legislators to address this issue.”
Americans for Financial Reform, Gina Chon of the Financial Times reports, “will soon send a letter to the agencies – it will also be circulated among lawmakers – urging them to finalise the proposal and strengthen it by not leaving implementation up to a bank’s board or management.” The article quotes AFR’s Marcus Stanley, who describes the executive-compensation provision as “one of the major pieces of unfinished business in Dodd-Frank.”