As US concerns over minimum regulatory capital requirements come late in the day, the Basel Committee must seriously consider delaying implementation, says John D Hawke Jr.
On September 30 the US bank regulatory agencies announced a revised schedule for the implementation of Basel II, the new capital standards for internationally active banks.

Banks can make their Basel II compliance journey easier if they know which stage they are at, what problems they are likely to face and what solutions they can rely on. Arun Pingaley and Kiran Narsu outline a compliance continuum.

Fifteen months after the Basel II framework was published, the European Commission has turned it into a new law – the Capital Requirements Directive. Michael Imeson reports on the translation and adoption travails ahead.

The Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), also known as the Investment Services Directive #2, promises true trading transparency but at a cost akin to that of dealing with Y2K problems.

Good corporate governance is an essential part of every board director’s job.Michael Imeson reports from a briefing that focused on the key issues from a banker’s perspective.

The Financial Services Action Plan was supposed to lead to the creation of a single European market in financial services by this year. It will not. What went wrong and what is being done about it? 

Through a ruthless public relations campaign, eight dissidents brought about Phil Purcell’s exit from the CEO post at Morgan Stanley. Nick Kochan looks at how and why they did it and asks if this sets a precedent in corporate governance.

The UK’s Financial Services Authority has set the template for regulation around the world but it has recently come in for criticism from politicians and market players for overdoing the red tape. How justified are the claims? asks Nick Kochan.

Beth Golden is refreshingly candid about the challenges of her new job. She, too, was formerly a deputy of Mr Spitzer and her legal background includes work on the Whitewater case. “It’s a steep learning curve for me,” she says.

Morgan Stanley’s response to the regulatory overload was a bit different from other Wall Street firms. The bank appointed a special head of regulatory matters to help co-ordinate the regulatory effort. Eric Dinallo, a former deputy of Mr Spitzer, was the man chosen for the job.