The SEC’s decision to move key deadlines for its own rule requiring centralized clearing for U.S. Treasuries and Treasury-backed repurchase contracts that were formerly cleared bilaterally has been met with approval by major industry participants. However, major market players acknowledge that the industry needs a breather to catch up to the regulator’s requirements. In particular,… Read More >>
SEC & CFTC Prioritize Crypto Regs Creation
The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) are following up on their recent announcements to move quickly on cryptocurrency regulation just as industry providers are getting on the crypto train. The SEC is offering more details about the mission of its special Crypto Task Force and the CFTC will be… Read More >>
Is the SEC Defanging or Protecting the CAT?
Is the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) undercutting or protecting the Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT) through a new exemption that would allow “natural persons” to sidestep supplying “certain personally identifiable information (PII)” such as names, addresses, and years of birth? CAT is an ambitious and controversial big data, U.S. securities transaction monitoring project that has… Read More >>
SEC & CFTC Extend Deadline for Form PF Amendments
Sometimes it pays to fight City Hall, especially when there’s a new City Hall. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) – now both under the control of the Trump administration — last week extended a controversial compliance date for the amendments to Form PF from March 12, 2025,… Read More >>
Trump’s Team Pushes Hard for Crypto Regulatory Overhaul
The new Trump administration’s crypto- and digital asset train is moving full speed ahead to help Trump deliver on a campaign promise to make the USA the “crypto capital of the planet.” The impact on the securities industry and operations could be profound as the Trump team wants to fast-track innovation, new rules, guardrails, and… Read More >>
A Roundup of Predictions for 2025
I’m a little late to the predictions party but please indulge me. This is a completely unscientific, random, and unusual set of predictions for this year and maybe a little beyond. I have scanned the usual suspects and unorthodox places and presented a variety of points of view while adding a few of my own…. Read More >>
Trump’s SEC May Be Less Aggressive On Fines
(The Trump team is moving fast to get its cabinet nominees in order, and Paul Atkins, a former SEC commissioner under President George W. Bush, has been tapped to head the SEC. If Atkins wins the approval of the U.S. Senate, he will succeed Gary Gensler, who steps down on Inauguration Day. FTF News asked… Read More >>
SEC Chair Gensler to Step Down January 20
Gary Gensler will not be filling out his term as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as he will be stepping down as its 33rd Chair effective at Noon on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2025, according to an SEC announcement With the onset of the second Trump administration, Gensler was never expected to… Read More >>
ACA Group Acquires FINOP Consulting
Governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) solutions provider ACA Group hopes to bolster the FINRA and SEC compliance services it offers to broker-dealers via the acquisition of FINOP Consulting, an outsourcer for broker-dealers, officials say. Officials declined to provide the financial terms of the acquisition. FINOP Consulting offers financial operations services “that ensure a broker-dealer’s financial… Read More >>
A Glimpse at Gary Gensler’s Legacy
With the second Trump administration coming to power in January, Gary Gensler, chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is unlikely to be a part of the new team. During the campaign, Trump stated that he would replace Gensler. In fact, multiple media outlets have recently reported that Trump’s transition team is searching for a replacement… Read More >>
