Law and regulation

UBS will pay up $2.5 million in fines and $8.25 million in restitution for allegedly botched sales of Lehman Brothers principal protection notes.

An Oregon CPA has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering with his business, misusing over $44 million of customer funds and causing 91 of his customers to lose $13.7 million.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s draft rule on gifts and gratuities could shut down muni advisers, the municipal market’s largest financial adviser is ­warning.

The nation’s stock exchanges and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority filed a proposal to establish a new “limit up-limit down” mechanism that would limit swings in stock prices, during periods of volatility.

In a proposed new rule regulating the use of third-party service providers, the self-regulatory agency for broker dealers, says that outsourcing doesn’t relieve a broker-dealer from its regulatory obligations.

Lawmakers on Tuesday moved forward with two legislative efforts to overhaul the U.S. tax code, which would either halt, or threaten, tax-exemption for new muni bonds.

Independent financial advisors are criticizing the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s draft changes to its rule on gifts and gratuities, warning they don’t go far enough to eliminate conflicts of interest.

The House Financial Services capital markets subcommittee was expected to pass as early as late Tuesday eight bills intended to jump-start reform of the government-sponsored enterprises despite efforts by Democrats to oppose the measures.

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority hearing panel expelled a California broker-dealer from the securities industry, for failing to implement and enforce an anti-money laundering program.

Certified financial planners, instructors, sponsors and those looking to become certified this week are getting their first look at the updated requirements mandated by the Certified Financial Planners Board of Standards for the organization's ethics continuing education programs.

Capitol Bancorp said its annual report that it was notified on March 30 that it would receive a subpoena from the SEC's Chicago office concerning its third-quarter reporting.

Self-regulatory officials may assess fees on municipal advisors based on their advisory activity and are focused on disclosure to retail muni investors.

Frustrated by the lack of progress with a global settlement between the 50 state attorneys general and the top mortgage servicers, federal banking regulators are expected to move forward with their own enforcement actions against 14 servicers as early as next week.

Supporters argue the new agency has unprecedented power that needs to be checked, but others contend the GOP simply wants to undercut an agency it never liked to begin with.

Experts predict that social media may be the next area of scrutiny for the self-regulatory organization.

Our legal expert answers your questions about providing disclosure of potential conflicts of interest.

The Managing Director and Chief Market Strategist for U.S. Trust discusses the Middle East and its impact on financial advisors.

One of the most interesting things to come out of this conversational thread about the regulators is the amount of fear advisors are expressing about speaking openly.

Robert M. Jaffe has been ordered to pay $1.1 million plus interest to Turbo Investors LLC

Regulators and small bank advocates seem to be losing the psychological battle over the Dodd-Frank Act, despite recent efforts to calm bankers.