Dodd-Frank uncertainty.

• Author: Malmgren, Hal
• Position: Off the News - Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 - Brief article

In the United States, an attempt at comprehensive reform of financial markets was embodied in the Dodd-Frank legislation approved by Congress in 2010. Although the Obama Administration tried to take credit for much of these "reforms," Senate leaders repeatedly denied that the Administration had a primary influence in the drafting of that legislation. Taking up thousands of pages, this legislation essentially outlines "objectives," and delegates to regulators the tasks of interpreting the intentions of Congress, writing new rules, and establishing appropriate monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. As with any legislation, the new legal language has generated further controversies and revealed unintended consequences. Regulators have had to postphone implementation in the face of intensive lobbying against their proposed actions.

Based upon past experience with complex "reform" legislation, it seems...