In what she described as her first public appearance as SEC Chairman, Elisse Walter delivered opening remarks at the Investor Advisory Committee Meeting. Chairman Walter mentioned the SEC's progress on rule-making.

The CFTC published a notice of proposed rulemaking (the “Customer Protection Proposal”) to adopt new regulations and amend existing regulations to require enhanced customer protections, risk management programs, internal monitoring and controls, capital and liquidity standards, customer disclosures, and auditing and examination programs for futures commission merchants (“FCMs”). In order to provide interested parties with an additional opportunity to comment on the Customer Protection Proposal, the Commission is extending the comment period for the Customer Protection Proposal until February

Federal financial regulatory agencies issued a final rule that establishes new appraisal requirements for "higher-priced mortgage loans." This rule implements the Truth in Lending Act amendments under the Dodd-Frank Act. The rule exempts several types of loans, such as qualified mortgages, temporary bridge loans and construction loans, loans for new manufactured homes, and loans for mobile homes, trailers and boats that are dwellings. The rule also has exemptions from the second appraisal requirement to facilitate loans in rural areas and other transactions. The rule is being issued by the

The Financial Stability Oversight Council ("FSOC") announced in the Federal Register that it has extended the comment period for proposed recommendations for money market mutual fund ("MMF") reform. Click here to view our original story on the extension, including a full analysis and commentary. Comments Due: February 15, 2013. Public comments may be submitted here. View release in full: 78 FR 4145.

The U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service published comprehensive final regulations implementing the information reporting and withholding tax provisions of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”). The final regulations build on intergovernmental agreements (“IGAs”) that the Treasury has negotiated with several countries and coordinate definitions, exemptions and due diligence obligations with those set forth in such IGAs. The final regulations also expand and clarify the treatment of certain categories of low-risk institutions, such as governmental entities and