Opinion

July 19, 2016 @ 10:07 am By JD Alois  |  

Below is the draft letter from the Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies (ACSEC) regarding the definition of an Accredited Investor. The Committee is working on the details now with one of the suggestions being a test of sophistication that allows a work-around from… Read More

July 17, 2016 @ 11:57 am By Robert Wardrop & Tania Ziegler  |  

  Across Europe, crowdfunding is quickly moving from a fringe funding instrument to becoming a mainstream – finance channel, connecting “crowds” to fund businesses, projects and individuals. In its recently published Report on Crowdfunding in the EU Capital Markets Union, the European Commission details the… Read More

July 16, 2016 @ 7:35 pm By JD Alois  |  

The North American Securities Administrator Association (NASAA), the lobbying group for state securities regulators, published a comment last week regarding the passage of the National Securities Exchange Regulatory Parity Act (HR 5421).  NASAA appears ready to battle the legislation, which passed on a voice vote… Read More

July 15, 2016 @ 3:18 pm By Ethan Senturia  |  

  I admit it; I am not a fancy guy.  People who know me actually say I am pretty down to earth.  I rarely wear anything other than jeans and I don’t  roll around town in a fancy car.  In fact, I drive what you… Read More

July 14, 2016 @ 2:12 pm By Thomas Howard  |  

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will look to ensure that consumers are sufficiently protected against the risks inherent in crowdfunding while supporting innovation in the growing market in a forthcoming review of its regulation of the industry. Crowdfunding rules were introduced by the FCA in… Read More

July 13, 2016 @ 2:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

At a Congressional hearing yesterday on Marketplace Lending that was described as being “educational”, Rob Nichols, of the American Bankers Association,  presented testimony and answered questions along with several other individuals engaged in finance. While the topic was  ostensibly “Fintech”, a better label may have… Read More

July 12, 2016 @ 8:32 pm By Brock Murray  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) makes its move after public consultations to provide industry direction and safeguards for retail investors. Investment crowdfunding platforms that offer debt or equity opportunities will now have to obtain a license to operate. While many may dispute the pros… Read More

July 12, 2016 @ 8:12 am By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a Competition Report, alongside their annual report this year. Incorporated in HM Treasury’s 2015 Productivity Statement, the FCA was asked to produce a standalone annual competition report to show how well they are delivering on their competition objective…. Read More

July 10, 2016 @ 12:00 pm By Therese Torris  |  

As UK politicians, pro-Brexit and pro-Bremain alike, resign one after the other, the uncertainty about the consequences of the Brexit vote is rising instead of abating. Here is a summary the following main causes of uncertainty that impact financial services: The Legal Exiting Process: The… Read More

July 7, 2016 @ 11:08 pm By Therese Torris  |  

In the troubled post-Brexit context, many leaders in the UK traditional and alternative financial services are trying to reassure their market and even to present the Brexit vote as an opportunity for the UK. Their statements read like reactions of the French after a soccer… Read More

July 6, 2016 @ 5:34 pm By JD Alois  |  

The State of Washington has adopted rules requiring companies raising capital under Reg CF to submit notice filings, along with a fee, if the company’s principle place of business is the state of Washington.  The rule also requires a notice filing if over 50% of… Read More

July 6, 2016 @ 11:01 am By JD Alois  |  

Mangrove Capital Partner and former COO of Skype, Michael Jackson, is of the opinion the Brexit is “far from being an economic disaster”. In a release on Finextra, Jackson states that great entrepreneurs feed off of disruption. In this case, the disruption is being driven… Read More

July 6, 2016 @ 9:27 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday the Financial Policy Committee (FCP) of the Bank of England relaxed bank capital requirements in a proactive move designed to stave off a looming, Brexit driven slowdown. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney stated; “The UK has entered a period of uncertainty and significant… Read More

July 1, 2016 @ 4:28 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Fix Crowdfunding Act (HR 4855), a bill that sailed through the House Financial Services with broad bi-partisan support, is expected to hit the House floor for a vote this coming Tuesday.  A source told Crowdfund Insider that originally it was on the back-burner for… Read More

July 1, 2016 @ 1:55 pm By Robin Sosnow  |  

Political campaigns may have a symbiotic relationship to crowdfunding. In a sense, politicians have been crowdfunding political donations for years, even before the term was generally known. Since then, many have used actual internet-based crowdfunding campaigns in their fundraising. President Barak Obama has high hopes… Read More

July 1, 2016 @ 8:37 am By JD Alois  |  

Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, stated in a speech on the Brexit yesterday that while the “result of the referendum is clear. Its full implications for the economy are not”, he also affirmed it was something the UK economy can handle. EPTSD:… Read More

June 30, 2016 @ 3:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

Tom Britton, SyndicateRoom co-founder and CTO, shared his views on Reg CF, Title III of the JOBS Act, a few days ago. Britton, a US citizen transplanted in the UK, is helping to manage one of the most successful investment crowdfunding platforms in the UK,… Read More

June 29, 2016 @ 10:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

During a wide-ranging speech this week at the DBS Institutional Investor Symposium, Jacqueline Loh, Deputy Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), made the statement; “As a progressive and innovative financial centre, Singapore has much to offer to global investors in opening the door… Read More

June 29, 2016 @ 9:46 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Fix Crowdfunding Act (HR 4855) passed the House Financial Services Committee earlier this month with solid bipartisan support. The bill was laser focused on addressing intrinsic shortcomings in Title III of the JOBS Act. While the bill was approved the final text saw several… Read More

June 29, 2016 @ 4:33 pm By JD Alois  |  

A reoccurring theme within the Fintech sector is the need for a regulatory environment that embraces competition and transparency.  Perhaps the best example globally continues to be the UK as the regulatory system has been cited on countless occasions as an important catalyst in driving… Read More