All Rules & Proposals articles – Page 61
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Blog
U.K. Enacts Disclosure Demands on Oil, Gas Companies
The United Kingdom has agreed to new disclosure requirements for companies that pay governments for extraction rights and access to natural resources. It is the first country to pass legislation enacting European Union directives that require member states to impose new requirements on oil, gas, mining, and lumber companies. A ...
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Blog
Business Lobby Targeting Proposed EU Gender Quotas for Boards
Image: Title: SégolNov. 25—A proposed directive to implement EU-wide quotas for women on boards is one of a handful of pending measures the newly installed European Commission should shelve, says BusinessEurope. The lobbying group argued in a notice to the Commission that was leaked to media outlet EurActiv that the ...
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Article
CFPB Proposes New Rules for Prepaid Cards, Mobile Payments
Banks, retailers, online services, and others that issue prepaid cards to consumers will soon have some new rules to follow, including the need to conduct “ability to repay” assessments if they offer credit options. The rules, proposed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, could also bring new regulations to mobile ...
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Article
Behind the Latest Push to Win Proxy Access for Shareholders
Image: Title: StringerThree years after a lawsuit scuttled the SEC’s proxy access rule, a new push is underway to give shareholders the right to nominate directors directly on the proxy. New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, on behalf of the $160 billion New York City pension funds, recently submitted proxy ...
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Blog
SEC Approves Rule Requiring Technology Safeguards
Image: Nov. 19—Despite concerns that it may be too limited in its current form, the SEC unanimously approved Regulation SCI, new rules intended to strengthen the technology infrastructure of securities markets, improve their resilience, and enhance the Commission’s ability to oversee them. The rule includes attestation requirements for chief executive ...
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Blog
Bank of England Chief Suggests Rules Needed for Bankers’ Fixed Pay
Image: Title: CarneyNov. 19—Even though caps on banker bonuses in the European Union are still generating controversy, some are calling for new rules for bankers’ fixed pay. Bank of England Governor and Financial Stability Board Chairman Mark Carney said during a speech this week that new rules on bankers’ fixed ...
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Blog
European Commission Pushing Ahead with New Shareholder Rights Law
Image: Title: HooijerNov. 19—The head of corporate governance for the European Commission, Jeroen Hooijer, said at a recent conference in the Netherlands that the Commission could put a proposal to revise the European Union’s shareholder rights rules before lawmakers by next summer. The proposal was unveiled last spring and calls ...
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Blog
Court Gives SEC Another Chance to Defend Conflict Minerals Rule
The court that struck down parts of the SEC’s conflict minerals disclosure rule has agreed to give the agency another chance to make its case. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said it will permit the SEC to file a supplemental brief, setting the stage for ...
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Article
A New Congress Will Bring New Chances to Alter Regulatory Landscape
The midterm elections brought a much stronger position in Congress to Republicans. While it may not be enough to give them the clout they need to make vast legislative changes, it has given them hold on the purse strings. With control of the budgeting process, and a potential new willingness ...
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Blog
New Conflict Minerals Reporting Template Improves Smelter Identification
Image: Title: RohwerThe latest version of the Conflict Free Sourcing Initiative’s Conflict Minerals Reporting Template is now available. The report provides information on which countries smelters and refiners get their minerals from. The latest version of the report provides improved translations and a more accurate approach to smelter identification. “By ...
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Blog
EU Financial Services Commissioner Will Press on With Reforms
Image: Title: HillNov. 12—The new EU commissioner for financial services has pledged to continue implementing numerous reforms sparked by the 2008 financial collapse, but cautioned lawmakers to assess the effect new regulations have on growth and jobs. Jonathan Hill, commissioner for financial stability, financial services, and capital markets union, said ...
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Blog
EU Approves New Damages Directive for Antitrust Violations
Image: Title: VestagerNov. 12—A new law approved by European Union lawmakers this week is designed to make it easier for companies suffering damages due to antitrust violations to seek compensation anywhere within the bloc. The damages directive includes new rules regarding disclosure of evidence and allows a decision from a ...
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Article
What SEC Rulemaking Generates the Most Buzz?
What rule proposals and petitions before the SEC attract the most comment letters? Not surprisingly, investors and their advocates flooded the SEC’s mailbox with form letters supporting measures such as enhanced whistleblower protections and disclosure of political contributions. Less feedback came from corporate representatives concerned with new rules on the ...
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Article
Separation Conundrum: Should Compliance Be Independent of Legal?
Image: Title: RubinDespite the ongoing push for companies to separate the compliance and legal functions, giving chief compliance officers greater independence than they might otherwise enjoy while reporting to the general counsel, not everyone agrees it’s the only way to go. “I don’t think there is a right or wrong ...
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Blog
Companies Lack Transparency on Foreign Operations, Report Says
The world’s largest companies don’t disclose much information about operations outside their home country and are often tight-lipped about anticorruption efforts, says a new report from Transparency International. The lack of granularity, it adds, will leave the largest oil, gas, and mining companies ill-prepared for forthcoming rules from the European ...
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Blog
Podcast: Banks Double Down on AML Compliance
A recent survey by accounting firm Kaufman Rossin found that many banks plan sizeable increases to their budget for anti-money laundering compliance over the next 12 months. In this week’s podcast, we talk to Ivan Garces, a risk advisory services principal at accounting firm Kaufman Rossin about the evolving risk ...
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Blog
Federal Reserve Places New Limits on Large Banks
The Federal Reserve Board has approved a rule that places new limits on mergers and acquisitions in the banking industry, effectively slowing the growth of the largest institutions in yet another strike against “too big to fail” banks. The rule prohibits a financial company from combining with another company if ...
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Article
SEC’s Disclosure Review Reignites Debate Over Forward-Looking Information
Companies, regulators, and investors have long debated the role of forward-looking information in disclosures, reports, and financial statements. In a new report, the CFA calls on the SEC to a use comprehensive disclosure review to decide what forward-looking information should be required in corporate disclosures and financial reports in particular. ...
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Article
Raising the Bar on Year-Two Conflict Minerals Disclosures
Image: Title: WallerstedtThe first year of conflict minerals disclosures was basically a trial run, with low expectations. Companies are now working on the next round of filings, and the SEC’s expectations for detail will be greater, experts say. The task is to move beyond mere data collection and push compliance ...
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Blog
Bank Executives, Boards Urged to Share Cyber-Risk Data
Bank executives and directors are getting another new guidance from the multi-agency Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. The guidance encourages management and boards to ask questions about how accountability is determined for managing cyber-risks; the process for ensuring employee awareness; what is reported to the board on cyber-security events; the ...