Last month, we published an article on the Volcker Rule and where to begin to incorporate it from a compliance perspective. The article, written by Lisa Kim Estrada, provided commentary on how to proceed with the task of implementing the rule and how to deal with the six requirements for a compliance program. The Volcker Rule is just one element of the incredible amount of regulatory developments that are taking place in today’s financial markets.
As we all know, history was made on February 3 of this year, when Janet Yellen was sworn in as the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Not only is she the first woman to hold the position, but she is also the first Democrat nominee to run the Fed since Paul Volcker himself became Chairman in 1979. It will be interesting to see how Ms. Yellen applies her Keynesian stance on unemployment versus inflation to economic issues and Federal Reserve policy.
GSEs and regulation
This month, we published an article by Liz Ward on another area that’s ripe for regulation and review. This one addresses government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and housing finance reform. This is another timely topic, considering the recent comments made by Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Mel Watts on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Liz presents both some history on the GSEs and the outlook on the Johnson and Crapo bill, which has the goal of protecting taxpayers from liability while promoting affordable mortgage financing. Will we see any reform in 2014?
Additional resources on regulation
One of our goals at GFMI is to keep you updated and informed on market developments, including changes to regulation. We invite you to peruse our newly designed website and to tap into numerous articles and blogs, such as:
- Making Sense of the Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR) Results for 2014
- Duration and Rising Interest Rates
- High-Frequency Trading: Demystifying the Maker-Taker Debate
Thanks for your continued interest in GFMI.
