The Dodd-Frank Act is the product of a financial services regulatory reform effort started by the Obama Administration after the global financial crisis. The Act includes reforms and other provisions in the following areas: regulatory structure, regulation of systemically significant financial institutions, bank capital requirements, proprietary trading by certain banking entities, sponsorships of and investments in hedge funds and private equity funds by certain banking entities, resolution of failing financial institutions, fees paid to the Deposit Insurance Fund, securitization, swaps and derivatives, SEC authority, executive compensation, corporate governance, private equity and hedge funds, credit rating agencies, consumer regulations, and a new Federal Insurance Office to identify issues or gaps in the regulation of insurers.
Most of the regulations resulting from this law will become effective between six and 18 months from now. Click here to read an executive summary of the Dodd-Frank Act.