Regulation

Bankers may never be considered Boy Scouts on compensation, but in terms of the executive pay provisions in the financial reform bill, they certainly are prepared.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is making risk disclosures one of its highest priorities, with the goal of doing a better job of regulating derivates, hedge funds and credit rating agencies.

The financial services reform bill in Congress calls for 68 in-depth studies into financial services products and practices, including: performance data in mutual fund advertisements, short selling and stronger insurance regulation, which could impact annuities and other retirement income products.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has suspended a CPA who was the former senior treasury manager and assistant treasurer at Peregrine Systems, a California enterprise management software company that was charged in 2003 with massive financial fraud.

Passing regulatory reform legislation, a grueling effort that has taken more than a year of debate, is just a warm-up for an even tougher fight over the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Canadian fund managers will now be limited in the range of services they can pay for with commissions from clients for brokering transactions, based on newly adopted legislation.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said on Wednesday that it will hold an open meeting on July 14 to consider whether to issue a concept release on proxy reform.

State Street Corp. has sued three of its former executives for creating a new rival in securities lending.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is not waiting for regulatory reform's enactment to develop plans for a new resolution system.

When the largest banks report second-quarter results this month, there will likely be less to brag about on the credit front, and tough questions to answer about the probable impact of financial reform.