The game’s afoot. The financial industry is beginning its stealth attack on financial reform. First up: The single speck of potential investor protection that sneaked into the new law.
If activated, the change could push brokers, planners and insurance agents toward selling their clients better investments than they might be recommending now. That happy outcome, [...]
Posts Tagged ‘financial reform’
- Credit card interest rates rise but that’s a good thing
- POSTED 08.24.10
I’m about to annoy you. You hate the fact that banks have been raising interest rates on credit card balances. By the rules of competition, however, the rise in visible costs will turn out to be a good thing. Fees you can see will eventually go down.
You’ve been paying high costs for credit right along, [...]
- Mortgages Under Financial Reform: 5 Ways the Market Will Change
- POSTED 07.27.10
The financial reform law includes tough new mortgage regulations, to stop the deceptions (and self-deceptions) that have driven millions of homeowners into foreclosure. Here’s how the market will change in 12 to 18 months, when the new rules start to take effect:
1. The fees you can be charged at closing will be capped at 3 [...]
Consumers won. Banks lost. That summarizes the consumer piece of the financial reform bill.
On the other part of the bill that affects individuals, my verdict flips. Investors lost, Wall Street won.
Taking the consumer side first, color me thrilled that Congress created a potentially strong Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. When President Obama proposed it last [...]
- Investor protection gets knocked out of the financial reform law
- POSTED 06.25.10
Senator Tim Johnson socked investors with what might be a knockout punch, during negotiations on the financial reform bill. Investor protection is down for the count. The new law, when passed, is going to leave you out.
Johnson, a South Dakota Democrat, laughs at the concept of “fiduciary duty”—the idea that people who advise you on [...]
