Politics, Legal & Regulation

November 7, 2015 @ 8:15 am By JD Alois  |  

Investment crowdfunding platform WeFunder, a site that has raised over $10 million using Accredited Crowdfunding, sees a serious flaw in final rules of Title III of the JOBS Act.  In a recent open letter to the SEC, WeFunder CEO and co-founder Nicholas Tommarello said while… Read More

November 6, 2015 @ 10:35 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed charges against alleged rogue trader James Alan Craig of Dunragit, Scotland.  Apparently Craig was a bit cocky too, as he tweeted that the SEC would not be able to track him down.  The SEC has used their own Twitter… Read More

November 6, 2015 @ 2:11 pm By JD Alois  |  

Investment crowdfunding platform SeedInvest has responded to proposed rules the state of Washington has hoisted up the securities regulation flag pole regarding Regulation A+.  In brief, SeedInvest wants to to “Save Regulation A”, according to a post on their blog. As enacted under Title IV… Read More

November 6, 2015 @ 1:31 pm By Anthony Zeoli  |  

  With all the excitement last week surrounding the SEC’s release of the final Title III rules implementing “Regulation Crowdfunding,” the SEC’s vote in favor of proposing amendments to the current Rule 147 to help foster Intrastate Crowdfunding amounted to little more than a side-note…. Read More

November 4, 2015 @ 2:19 pm By JD Alois  |  

Karen Mills is currently perched as a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Business School and at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. She spends her time focusing on competitiveness, entrepreneurship and innovation – all extremely important areas of economic… Read More

November 3, 2015 @ 10:34 am By Erin Hobey  |  

The Centre for Alternative Finance at University of Cambridge Judge Business School and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation team at Chicago Booth School of Business have joined forces to initiate the  2015 Americas Alternative Finance Benchmarking Survey.  This landmark survey is the first comprehensive and empirical assessment of crowdfunding, peer-to-peer lending (marketplace lending)… Read More

November 3, 2015 @ 8:13 am By JD Alois  |  

The Future of Banking is Online. Tech Titans Want to Lead the Way as Financial Innovation Now Coalition Announced. All financial services are being turned upside down as the relevance of brick and mortar locations and surly customer service representatives is diminishing.  Big tech, including… Read More

November 3, 2015 @ 7:07 am By Spencer Ang Li  |  

A bit late on providing this update, but back in August, the People’s Supreme Court of China issued a new ruling on matters related to private lending in China. Private lending is defined as lending between persons or entities that are not financial institutions sanctioned… Read More

November 2, 2015 @ 4:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Lost in all of the excitement of last weeks’ announcement from the SEC on Title III crowdfunding rules was a case of crowdfunding fraud.  According to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the agency halted a “fraudulent oil and gas crowdfunding scheme”.  The SEC has frozen… Read More

November 2, 2015 @ 8:00 am By Ryan M. Feit  |  

For most people, digesting the 686 pages of the final Title III rules over the weekend would be some sort of Tartarus-like punishment.  Yet for me, after 3 ½ years of waiting, it was the equivalent of unwrapping a present, with each sentence laying out… Read More

November 1, 2015 @ 8:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

Embedded below are proposed amendments by the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding Rule 147 and Rule 504 of Regulation D.  These are federal securities rules that impact the 29 states and District of Columbia that have enacted forms of intrastate crowdfunding. The SEC is accepting… Read More

October 31, 2015 @ 4:54 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission has published the final rules regarding Title III of the JOBS Act that legalizes retail crowdfunding.  While the Form Funding Portal and updated Form ID will be effective January 29, 2015, these regulations will not become actionable until 180 days… Read More

October 30, 2015 @ 5:10 pm By Sherwood Neiss and Jason Best  |  

When we showed up in Washington, D.C., Karen Kerrigan, of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, became a champion for our cause to legalize debt and equity crowdfunding. Karen, and the SBE Council, is the closest thing small businesses and entrepreneurs have to a lobby… Read More

October 30, 2015 @ 3:51 pm By JD Alois  |  

The senior Senator from Colorado, Michael Bennet, welcomed the announcement by the SEC today that revealed the regulatory framework for Title III, equity crowdfunding.  According to Senator Bennet, equity  crowdfunding will provide a new avenue for small businesses and startups in Colorado to acquire capital… Read More

October 30, 2015 @ 1:43 pm By JD Alois  |  

SEC Commissioner Michael Piwowar cast the lone dissenting vote regarding final rules for Title III equity crowdfunding and proposed updates to Rule 147 which impact intrastate crowdfunding. Piwowar, the lone Republican appointee following the departure of Commissioner Gallagher, expressed his concern that Title III rules… Read More

October 30, 2015 @ 12:32 pm By Georgia Quinn  |  

What took place this morning is nothing short of revolutionary. For the first time in the history of the Securities and Exchange Commission (82 years), retail investors (ordinary people without income, wealth or sophistication qualifications) will be able to invest in private businesses en mass…. Read More

October 30, 2015 @ 11:13 am By JD Alois  |  

Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Jo White opened up the meeting on Title III crowdfunding and rules impacting intrastate crowdfunding today with an explanatory statement on the agencies rule making process.  The much-anticipated announcement incorporated several changes  which will be well received by the… Read More

October 30, 2015 @ 10:43 am By JD Alois  |  

Indiegogo founder and CEO Slava Rubin has consistently expressed interest in shifting his platform to allow securities to be transacted under new exemptions enacted by the JOBS Act of 2012. Today, Rubin reaffirms its intent to allow non-accredited investors to purchase equity in SMEs –… Read More

October 30, 2015 @ 10:15 am By JD Alois  |  

Published below are the proposed amendments impacting Rule 147 and Rule 504 of Reg D which impacts intrastate crowdfunding. The SEC stated its intent to refine what it means to be an intrastate offering and ease some of the issuer eligibility requirements in the current… Read More

October 30, 2015 @ 10:04 am By JD Alois  |  

Highlights of the proposed rules by the Commission for Title III of the JOBS Act that legalizes retail equity crowdfunding. Companies may raise $1 million during a 12 month period with non-accredited investors able to invest $2000 or 5% of their annual income (whichever is… Read More