Politics, Legal & Regulation

April 26, 2017 @ 2:37 pm By JD Alois  |  

The California intrastate crowdfunding bill (AB 1517) took another step in the direction of becoming an actual law yesterday.  On Tuesday, April 25th, the bill was green-lighted by the Assembly Banking and Finance Committee. Next up is the Assembly Appropriations Committee. A hearing on the AB… Read More

April 25, 2017 @ 2:43 pm By JD Alois  |  

SEC Advisory Committee On Small And Emerging Companies (ACSEC) has scheduled a meeting for May 10, 2017. The ACSEC meeting will commence at 9:30AM and will take place at the SEC Headquarters. The public is invited to these meetings but the SEC typically live-streams the… Read More

April 25, 2017 @ 9:49 am By JD Alois  |  

Chichester Member of Parliament Andrew Tyrie has announced he will not stand for election this coming June. Tyrie has been the highly influential Chair of the Commons Treasury Select Committee since 2010. The MP released a statement on his decision, saying; “After very careful thought,… Read More

April 24, 2017 @ 12:28 pm By Cole Lyons  |  

In an attempt to promote innovation in their financial service markets, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) and Indonesia’s Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK) have entered into a Fintech Cooperation Agreement. Stated in a release Friday the 21st in Melbourne, the agreement creates a framework for collaboration… Read More

April 24, 2017 @ 10:14 am By JD Alois  |  

Asset Match, a London-based company offering a trading market for unlisted companies, is out with a report on UK sentiment following Brexit and Article 50 progress. According to their research, consumers are rallying behind British business with “overwhelming confidence” that UK business will benefit from… Read More

April 21, 2017 @ 3:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

This is a special time of the year in Washington, DC. It is the annual Spring Meetings of the IMF and World Bank meaning a diverse group of policymakers and regulators descend upon the US Capitol clogging restaurants and over-booking hotels. This also means there… Read More

April 20, 2017 @ 5:22 am By Erin Hobey  |  

The proliferation of P2P marketplace, and most importantly online lending brings a competitive challenge for existing financial institutions that is here to stay. Its meteoric rise has provoked regulators around the world to deliberate on the new models of oversight needed to benefit consumers and… Read More

April 19, 2017 @ 10:03 pm By JD Alois  |  

Crowdfunding, as allowed under Reg CF (created by Title III of the JOBS Act) was designed to improve access to capital for smaller firms in need of funding while providing new investment opportunities for smaller investors. For too many years the little guy has been… Read More

April 19, 2017 @ 6:26 pm By Cole Lyons  |  

Gina Miller is attempting to raise £10,000 through crowdfunding to encourage tactical voting during the United Kingdom’s upcoming elections this summer which were unexpectedly called by Prime Minister May. Miller is a businesswoman and founder of SCM Private, an asset management company. However, Miller acquired a… Read More

April 19, 2017 @ 6:03 pm By JD Alois  |  

The creation of Representative Jeb Hensarling, the Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 is geared to replace much of Dodd-Frank legislation. Dodd-Frank has become the poster-child for poorly written law that increased cost to financial service firms while increasing the potential of “too big to fail.”… Read More

April 19, 2017 @ 11:12 am By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) released an update this week on both their mission and an accompanying business plan. The lead securities and market regulator, posted its broad strategic objectives, as determined by Parliament; To ensure that relevant markets function well – and three operational… Read More

April 18, 2017 @ 6:35 pm By JD Alois  |  

California is perhaps the most natural state to enact an instrastate law to facilitate investment crowdfunding. Yet multiple attempts at crafting bespoke legislation to allow crowdfunding have failed multiple times. Honestly, I have lost count of the number of bills hoisted up the lawmaking flagpole… Read More

April 18, 2017 @ 10:03 am By Erin Hobey  |  

In this brief video entitled “FinTech How technology is changing the world of finance,” BBC Newsnight spotlights some problems facing SMEs when it comes to collecting payments. Fees overwhelm. Payments delayed. Fintech maverick, Crowdcube campaigner and Monzo CEO Tom Blomfield addresses how lack of competition allows brick… Read More

April 14, 2017 @ 8:05 am By JD Alois  |  

Financial Innovation Now (FIN) has submitted their recommendations to Senators Crapo and Brown, the Chair and Ranking Member on the Senate Banking Committee, as to how best to improve Economic Growth. The proposals follow a public request by the two Senators asking members of the public… Read More

April 13, 2017 @ 3:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has filed a regulatory notice and a request for comments regarding capital formation. The review includes aspects of the JOBS Act and crowdfunding. FINRA said the request for comments was part of its FINRA360 initiative, a comprehensive review of… Read More

April 12, 2017 @ 1:26 pm By JD Alois  |  

Affirming the future of Fintech, Rt. Honorable Liam Fox, MP, Secretary of State for International Trade, delivered a closing speech to the inaugural International FinTech Conference organized by DIT and HMT. Fox stated; “Never before have prospects been so great. Never before has investment in… Read More

April 11, 2017 @ 10:16 pm By JD Alois  |  

Londoners are being invited to pitch for cash to improve their local areas in an initiative sponsored by the city of London. Crowdfund London will allow select projects to be supported with up to £50,000 through crowdfunding model. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is inviting… Read More

April 11, 2017 @ 8:30 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

  “Fintech, online lending, AI and privacy are complicated issues, so we’ve created innovative solutions and approaches that D.C. embraces once they understand them. Our message to Washington is: call us! We have someone to translate tech speak and “bureaucratese” for all of Washington’s questions.”… Read More

April 11, 2017 @ 5:12 pm By JD Alois  |  

Earlier this month the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published their annual report pertaining to the yearly SEC Government -Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation. The gathering is mandated by law and has taken place since 1982. Each and every year a group of… Read More

April 10, 2017 @ 9:58 pm By JD Alois  |  

Christopher Woolard, Executive Director of Strategy and Competition at the FCA, delivered a Keynote address today at the Innovative Finance Global Summit 2017. Woolard, the FCA’s champion for competition and thus a champion for consumers, delivered an important message regarding their regulatory mission: “It is… Read More