The SEC Office of Investor Education and Advocacy issued an Investor Bulletin to educate investors about investing in unregistered securities offerings, or private placements, under Regulation D ("Rules Governing the Limited Offer and Sale of Securities without Registration under the Securities Act of 1933"). According to the Investor Bulletin, individual investors may be offered opportunities to invest in an unregistered offering involving securities such as common or preferred stock, limited partnerships interests, a membership interest in a limited liability company, or an investment

The Financial Stability Oversight Council ("FSOC") released a set of frequently asked questions ("FAQs") on the nonbank financial company designations process. The FAQs address continued inquiries from insurance companies, asset managers, specialty finance companies, industry associations, and other stakeholders. Dodd-Frank Section 113 ("Authority to require supervision and regulation of certain nonbank financial companies") granted FSOC the authority to designate nonbank financial companies for heightened supervision – namely, enhanced prudential standards and consolidated oversight by the

The CFTC issued an Order simultaneously filing and settling charges against Delaware Depository Services Company, LLC ("DDSC") for confirming the execution of off-exchange precious metals transactions with retail investors, in violation of the CEA. See: CFTC Order; CFTC Press Release.

The CFTC issued an Order simultaneously filing and settling charges against Absa Bank, Ltd. for executing prearranged, noncompetitive trades involving corn and soybean futures contracts on the Chicago Board of Trade ("CBOT") with FirstRand Bank, Ltd. The CFTC Order found that Absa and FirstRand prearranged noncompetitive trades involving CBOT corn and soybean futures contracts on several occasions from June 2009 to August 2011. According to the Order, before these trades were entered on the CBOT, employees for Absa and FirstRand had telephonic conferences with each other during which they

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ("OCC") issued an updated booklet titled, "Federal Branches and Agencies Supervision," which is part of the Comptroller's Handbook. The booklet, which revises the booklet of the same title issued in December 1999, provides updated guidance and examination procedures to examiners and bankers concerning the supervision of federal branches and agencies. Additionally, among other things, the booklet highlights considerations arising from legal and operational structures that differentiate federal branches and agencies from national banks, and explains