Regulation

Poverty is sky-high and unemployment remains relentless. Is the new small business bill just a band-aid that can't stop the bleeding?

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus on Thursday proposed to extend the Build America Bonds program for only one year in legislation he unveiled that would extend several expiring or expired bond and tax provisions.

The Senate approved legislation on Thursday that would provide $12 billion in tax breaks to small businesses, along with a $30 billion lending fund.

Tapping Elizabeth Warren as a top administration official charged with setting up the new consumer protection bureau will help her avoid a tough confirmation battle, but may offer as many risks as rewards.

While fiduciary rules, 12-b-1 changes and new ADV reporting requirements are on everyone’s radars, most advisors aren’t doing much to prepare.

At a Senate Banking Committee hearing, supporters of the plan argued that covered bonds are an untapped channel that could supply additional liquidity to the sluggish mortgage markets.

The lack of appointments to key jobs created by Dodd-Frank makes you wonder what the administration is thinking, and more specifically how much power Geithner is amassing.

Industry participants say brokers have made a lot of progress toward meeting new cost-basis reporting requirements from the Internal Revenue Service, which take effect in January 2011.

At 91%, the overwhelming majority of retail investors support a fiduciary standard for all financial advisers, according to a survey of 1,319 investors by Infogroup/ORC.

While the investment industry may be in two minds about how the SEC should proceed, investors are in no doubt that advisors should act in their best interest.