MSRB rules

After a bumpy but overall successful launch of markup disclosure, the muni industry looks ahead to regulatory scrutiny and finding ways to use the new data.

Deutsche Bank Securities and Central States Capital Markets agreed to settle with FINRA for a combined $80,000.

The new guidance is just the first of a planned three-part release, which will later cover social media use and the rule's content standards.

Municipal advisors were hoping for something more robust than the comments the MSRB incorporated into its latest "compliance resource."

The federal government's job board stops taking applications next week.

Ex-Morgan Stanley branch manager Terry Lee McCoy failed to act on several "red flags" that the accounts of an elderly and incapacitated customer were being abused, FINRA said.

The muni industry's self regulator said issuers have found underwriters' disclosure letters to be too long, filled with boilerplate, and duplicative.

Early returns indicate there have been some problems but firms seem to be working through them in complying with the new markup rules, regulators and industry officials said Tuesday.

The proposal would establish a standalone rule governing transactions in discretionary accounts, something the board hasn't had in more than 30 years.

FINRA found that Gates Capital and three of its employees breached several MSRB rules, some related to role-switching from advisor to underwriter on the same transaction.

A muni advisor and his firm defrauded a school district in south Texas, lying to it to gain business and failing to disclose a conflict of interest.

The MSRB said its newly-approved rules are an important part of its regulatory efforts, while groups representing dealers and MAs are say they are confusing and need clarification.

Issuers and the MSRB are mostly on the same page about primary offering practices that may warrant scrutiny, but some members of the GFOA's debt committee are concerned about "regulatory creep."

The MSRB said its proposals should be approved, despite objections from dealers and municipal advisors.

The MSRB will ask for market feedback on potential interpretive guidance related to a practice the board worries may impair market liquidity.

As the Electronic Municipal Market Access website enters its second decade, look for a series of investor-focused enhancements, including streamlined design and more intuitive navigation.

The Securities and Exchange Commission's decision not to extend the effective date of new markup disclosure requirements is disappointing to dealer groups, which have pushed hard for months for a delay.

A Securities and Exchange Commission proposal that may trigger additional MSRB rulemaking is open for comment, and the MSRB is scheduled to discuss it next week.

Lombard Securities and McDonald Partners agreed to pay fines after FINRA examiners found various violations of MSRB rules, including supervisory failures and trade reporting deficiencies.

Muni market groups told the MSRB that its latest FAQs about municipal advisors need to more clearly integrate existing guidance from both the board and the SEC to avoid creating confusion.