The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency ("OCC") issued the "Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board Rules" booklet of the Comptroller's Handbook, which introduces the MSRB's rules and interpretive guidance, provides guidance to bank examiners and bankers for evaluating compliance with MSRB rules, and addresses recent MSRB rule updates. See: Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board Rules Booklet.

The MSRB filed with the SEC a proposed rule change to establish supervisory and compliance obligations for municipal advisors. The MSRB proposed new rule G-44 to establish the supervisory and compliance obligations of municipal advisors, new amendments to Rule G-8 ("Books and Records to Be Made by Brokers, Dealers and Municipal Securities Dealers") and new amendments to Rule G-9 ("Preservation of Records"). The proposed new Rule G-44 draws on aspects of existing supervision and compliance framework from other programs and consists of a new supervisory system complemented by the designation of

The FDIC proposed revisions relating to ratios and ratio thresholds for capital evaluations, the assessment base calculation for custodial banks, and the calculation of counterparty exposures for highly complex institutions. The rule changes are intended to accommodate recent changes to federal banking agencies' capital rules. Specifically, the proposed rules would: revise the ratios and ratio thresholds for capital evaluations used in the FDIC risk-based deposit insurance assessment system to conform to the prompt corrective action capital ratios and ratio thresholds adopted by the FDIC

In its "Drums Along the Potomac," series, Energy Metro Desk discusses comments by Commissioner O'Malia about keeping markets efficient. Commissioner O'Malia, who is departing the CFTC, recently announced that he will become the CEO and Director of ISDA. In the article, Energy Metro Desk asked Commissioner O'Malia if the CFTC will take a position of supporting growth or hindering it. Commissioner O'Malia responded by saying that poorly crafted policy on issues from position limits to swaps and the cross-border framework can hinder market growth. He explained that the CFTC must ensure that end

The FINRA proposal to amend FINRA Rule 9620 to permit FINRA staff to electronically serve written decisions on members seeking exemptive relief from qualification examination requirements under NASD Rule 1070 was published in the Federal Register, effective immediately. The rule change was deemed noncontroversial by the SEC and is therefore immediately effective, but comments can still be submitted by August 13, 2014. See: 79 FR 42850. Related news: FINRA Proposes Rule Relating to Electronically Written Decisions on Members Seeking Exemptive Relief under NASD Rule 1070 (July 9, 2014).