Industry Experts Recommend Changes to FINRA Enforcement
Last year, as part of FINRA Forward, FINRA engaged two outside experts with industry ties, Professor Paul R. Eckert of William & Mary Law School and former SEC Commissioner Troy A. Paredes of Paredes Strategies, to identify potential improvements to FINRA’s enforcement function to better serve FINRA’s self-regulatory mission to protect investors, safeguard market integrity, and support vibrant capital markets in which everyone can participate with confidence.
Why It Matters
The report, published on June 30, 2026, sets forth 23 recommendations addressing longstanding industry complaints about due process, transparency, timelines, and regulatory burden. FINRA President and CEO Robert Cook wrote: “We welcome these recommendations, which reflect a thoughtful evaluation of FINRA’s enforcement program informed by feedback from various stakeholders.”
State Privacy Law Landscape Expands, Reinforcing Common Compliance Framework
In the absence of a national framework, states continue to adopt comprehensive privacy legislation that is coalescing around a common regulatory model that provides for:
– Universal Opt-Out Mechanisms (UOOMs)
– Attorney General Enforcement
– No Private Right of Action
– Standardized Consumer Rights
Why It Matters
“This expansion reflects ongoing momentum at the state level in the absence of a comprehensive U.S. federal privacy statute. While the growing number of laws increases compliance complexity, most states continue to converge around a common regulatory model, offering some predictability for businesses operating across jurisdictions.”
