CFTC Chair Timothy Massad summarized recent developments in the regulation of the financial markets. Chair Massad discussed measures intended to strengthen and enhance the stability of clearinghouse entities, how to encourage greater risk management and recovery, and resolution planning for clearinghouses. Chair Massad stated that the CFTC is working closely with the E.U. and the European Securities and Markets Authority on issues of regulatory equivalency for clearinghouses. The E.U. has not yet granted equivalence to U.S. clearinghouses, however, Chair Massad said he remained confident in

FINRA's revised proposal to amend FINRA Rule 4210 ("Margin Requirements") was published in the Federal Register. The amendments would establish margin requirements for (i) to-be-announced transactions ("TBAs"), (ii) Specified Pool Transactions and (iii) transactions in Collateralized Mortgage Obligations. Comments on the proposal must be submitted by November 10, 2015.

The CFTC filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois charging a Chicago-based individual and his proprietary trading company with spoofing and the employment of manipulative and deceptive devices while trading on four different futures exchanges. The CFTC alleged that the defendants: manually placed on one side of the market at or near the best bid or offer price large passive orders that were intended to be canceled before execution and thus are regarded as "spoof orders"; placed the orders through accounts owned by the trading company to create

United States Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez argued that in an era of "huge shifts" to the "retirement paradigm," the implementation of a best-interest standard is critical to helping American families avoid "spend[ing] their golden years burdened by economic anxiety." Mr. Perez talked about how benefit pension plans have been replaced by Individual Retirement Accounts and 401(k)s. He argued that unless a person has a "finance degree," it is difficult to navigate the system effectively in order to save for retirement. Without a best-interest standard, he said, it is "too easy" for advisers to

FINRA proposed rules intended to address the financial exploitation of seniors and other vulnerable adults. The proposal would (i) require firms to obtain the name of a "trusted contact person" for a "non-institutional customer's account" and (ii) provide a "safe harbor" (of a very limited sort) for a broker-dealer that determines to withhold a customer's assets where the broker-dealer believes that there is a cause for concern as to financial exploitation. Specifically, FINRA proposed: amendments to FINRA Rule 4512 ("Customer Account Information") to require firms to make reasonable efforts