Regulation

Even those who have used a financial planner and think favorably of them support regulation.

MIAMI -- Nearly two years after the collapse of Bear Stearns tipped off a global financial crisis, many people are still frustrated, confused, afraid, angry or resentful. Investors, regulators, legislators and Wall Street executives occasionally look for someone to lash out at, but no one is sure whom to blame or how to prevent such a disaster from happening again.

Many financial institutions are significantly underestimating the impact that new cost-basis rules will have on them, according to a study by research group TowerGroup and technology vendor Scivantage.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd is hoping to introduce a revised regulatory reform bill next week. But with the fate and makeup of a bill unclear, we offer the following frequently asked questions.

FINRA expands Broker Check service to provide more information on former brokers.

Cambridge Investment Research’s 1,600 financial advisors are independent contractors who run their own businesses nationally, but legislation introduced in both the House and Senate has threatened that model.

Many banks still suffer from chronic underinvestment in the analytical tools required for measuring risk, while others are still figuring out how to translate data into key decisions used in everything from the loan-approval process to executive pay practices.

WASHINGTON — Though regulatory reform has stolen center stage on Capitol Hill, the Obama administration remains intent on wiping out the Federal Family Education Loan Program, and its demise appears to be just a matter of time.

H&R Block was fined $200,000 and a broker suspended for improperly selling complex structured products.

SEC settlements nearly doubled in the first quarter, but the percentage of company settlements that included a monetary component declined to 41% from 56%.