On January 22, 2019, FINRA released its “2019 Risk Monitoring and Examination Priorities Letter” which identifies topics that FINRA will focus on in the coming year. As always, suitability remains one of FINRA’s top priorities in the coming year. Some of the specific areas on which FINRA may focus in 2019 include: (1) deficient quantitative […]
NYSE Regulation filed a Statement of Charges on behalf of NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca” or “Exchange”) naming Edward W. Wedbush and Wedbush Securities, Inc. as Respondents. In order to resolve the matter, the Exchange entered into an Offer of Settlement and Consent with each Respondent. By stipulation of the parties, the Statement of Charges […]
On December 20, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”) announced its 2019 examination priorities. OCIE publishes its exam priorities annually to promote transparency of its examination program and provide insights into the areas it believes present potentially heightened risk to investors or the integrity of the U.S. capital markets. […]
On December 7, 2018, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) issued a comprehensive report (“Report on FINRA Examination Findings”) which “focuses on selected observations from recent examinations that FINRA considers worth highlighting because of their potential significance, frequency, and impact on investors and the markets.” Among the issues discussed in this report were significant concerns […]
In 2008, in the aftermath of the financial crisis, the Federal Reserve began its “quantitative easing” program, a determined effort to lift the economy by lowering the cost of borrowing. It bought up trillions of dollars in Treasury and other debt securities, effectively reducing long-term interest rates. Debt issuance exploded. In the last decade, the amount of corporate […]