The SEC announced that Geoffrey Aronow has been named chief counsel and senior policy advisor in the Office of International Affairs (OIA). Mr. Aronow will provide legal counsel to the director of the OIA and play a central role in advising and formulating Commission policy in the international arena, including representing the SEC before international organizations and committees as they relate to legal issues. See: SEC Press Release.

The SEC announced that Kara Stein has been sworn into office as an SEC Commissioner by Chair Mary Jo White. Ms. Stein replaces former Commissioner Elisse Walter. See: SEC Press Release. See also:Senate Confirms White, Stein, and Piwowar to SEC Posts (August 2, 2013).

SIFMA submitted comments to the SEC critical of the National Securities Clearing Corporation's ("NSCC") proposed rule change to require supplemental liquidity deposits; SIFMA asserted that the rule change would discriminate against firms not affiliated with a bank. See: SIFMA Comment Letter. See also: NSCC Proposal SR-NSCC_2013-02; NSCC Proposal SR-NSCC_2013-802. SIFMA Submits Comments to the SEC on Instituting Supplemental Liquidity Deposits to National Securities Clearing Corporation's Clearing Fund (June 25, 2013).

SIFMA submitted critical comments to the SEC on the Consolidated Tape Association ("CTA") plan to raise certain of its fees. See: SIFMA Comment Letter.

The NFA has ordered Fidelity Planning Group ("FPG"), a Pennsylvania-based commodity trading adviser, to permanently withdraw from NFA membership for allegedly defrauding customers. NFA has also barred FPG's principal, Terry James Dorrity, from NFA membership, associate membership, or principal status with any NFA Member for eight years. NFA's Business Conduct Committee found that FPG and Dorrity engaged in excessive trading in order to churn customer accounts, thereby cheating and defrauding customers. See: T ext of NFA Complaint against FPG; NFA Decision; NFA Case Summary.