FINRA CEO and Chair Rick Ketchum delivered remarks at the Conference on Market Fragmentation, Fragility and Fees, discussing ways to use analytics and research to evaluate the economic issues and inform regulatory decision-making relating to capital markets. According to Mr. Ketchum, the industry is facing a "new regulatory paradigm – one informed by vast, expanding amounts of data and increasingly sophisticated analytics." He stated that it is essential to "bring to bear the power of math and its many forms" by using big data and well-constructed analytical methods to more efficiently and

The CFTC's final rule to exclude utility operations-related swaps with utility special entities from the de minimis threshold for swaps with special entities was published in the Federal Register. The effective date of the rule is October 27, 2014. See: 79 FR 57767. Related news: CFTC Publishes Text of Proposed Swaps Margin Rule and Final Rule on Swaps with Special Entity Utilities (September 23, 2014); CFTC Finalizes Rule on Swaps with Special Entity Utilities (September 17, 2014).

The SEC announced suspensions in trading for nine different penny stocks as part of an ongoing enforcement initiative to target fraudulent conduct and abusive trading in securities issued by microcap companies. See: SEC Order; SEC Press Release.

The IRS added two new items to the FATCA FAQs that are posted on its website. Both new items clarify issues with respect to Intergovernmental Agreements ("IGAs"). A new Question 7 was added to the FAQs section on IGA Registration and clarifies that a non-reporting financial entity in a Model 1 IGA jurisdiction generally is treated as a certified deemed-compliant financial institution and does not need to register with the IRS except in certain special circumstances, such as if it is acting as a sponsoring entity or as lead FFI for one or more related entities, or is explicitly required to

FINRA issued an Information Notice announcing that individuals who are or have been registered as broker or investment adviser representatives can now access their Individual Snapshot Reports online. See: FINRA Information Notice.