Compliance

Morningstar today published its inaugural issue of Financial Services Observer, a research report examining the competitive shifts in the U.S. wealth management industry, companies responses to industry changes following the financial crisis, and which companies Morningstar equity analysts think are poised to be a boon for shareholders.

Rex Staples, the director of investigations for the beleaguered CFP Board of Standards, is stepping down.

Bloomberg -- Bank of America Corp. is seeking approval of a $160 million settlement from a judge who thrice rejected requests by black financial advisers at its Merrill Lynch unit to sue as a group over alleged racial discrimination.

Bank of America is seeking approval of a $160 million settlement from a judge who thrice rejected requests by black financial advisers at its Merrill Lynch unit to sue as a group over alleged racial discrimination.

Regulatory reform is likely to continue on its current path if Janet Yellen, the Federal Reserve Board's vice chairman, is tapped to lead the central bank. The future is decidedly murkier if Larry Summers wins the post.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's surprise criticism of President Obama's plan to unwind Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has upset the conventional wisdom surrounding housing finance reform.

Is a youthful indiscretion with a fake ID reportable on your U4?

If your partnership agreement includes a mandatory retirement age, now might be the time to reassess.

Now is the time to bone up on your firm's anti-money laundering policies and learn how to spot the funny money.

A year after a firm merger, one of the principals looks at some of the problems and some pleasant surprises.

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that three whistleblowers have been awarded a combined total of $25,000 for tips they provided to help the SEC and Justice Department to thwart a sham hedge fund.

Bloomberg -- Brokers face restrictions on using clients’ assets as collateral for other trades, as part of a push by global regulators to prevent the securities lending market from sparking chain reactions that could cause a crisis.

BLOOMBERG -- BlackRock Inc. (BLK), the world’s biggest money manager, won dismissal of a lawsuit brought by two pension funds that accused the company of collecting “grossly excessive” compensation from securities-lending returns linked to iShares Inc.

As summer comes to a close, we're taking a look back at some of the hottest stories this season. Whether you were on vacation or busy working -- maybe you just finally have time to catch up on reading over the long weekend -- we've gathered the summer's top stories all in one place.

Bloomberg -- Bank of America Corp.’s Merrill Lynch unit agreed to pay $160 million to settle a discrimination lawsuit filed by black financial advisors, a lawyer for the plaintiffs said.

The Securities and Exchange Commission today sanctioned a former portfolio manager at a Boulder, Colo.-based investment advisor for forging documents and misleading the firm’s chief compliance officer to conceal his failure to report personal trades.

Bloomberg -- UBS AG, Switzerland’s largest bank, will pay $4.58 million to settle an investigation by regulators into whether its sales assistants were licensed in states where they did business.

UBS will pay $4.58 million to settle an investigation by regulators into whether its sales assistants were licensed in states where they did business.

These are stressful times for the mutual fund industry. An obvious statement, but one authored by a colleague ten years ago. Even more interesting is that the trends cited then are the same concerns that we hear from clients today. So what has changed?

WASHINGTON — A heavyweight panel including former bank regulator Sheila Bair cautioned Wednesday that the Federal Reserve must take a clear and steady direction out of its "experimental" monetary policies so as not to further harm the economy.