A broker-dealer subsidiary of a life insurance company agreed to pay a $1.75 million fine to settle charges that it had committed supervisory failures in connection with the sale of variable annuities. FINRA found that the subsidiary established a compensation scheme that exacerbated conflicts of interest.

The SEC granted a limited exemption from certain due diligence requirements, to permit a broker-dealer to publish, or submit for publication, quotations in an interdealer quotation systems for an over the counter security.

FINRA focused on transaction reporting and data dissemination in a podcast on core elements for firm training plans.

The CFTC approved a supplemental proposal to Regulation Automated Trading. The revised proposal lowers the threshold for registration for algorithmic trading firms and allows the CFTC to obtain access to their source code.

The CFTC approved amendments to certain rules to (i) allow commodity pool operators to use alternative accounting standards in preparing financial statements for non-U.S. pools, and (ii) adopt exemptions from the audit requirements for a pool's Annual Reports. These changes codify relief that the CFTC granted previously on a case-by-case basis through exemptive and no-action letters.