Number: RL32672
Title: Financial Institutions and Markets: Major Federal Statutes
Authors: M. Maureen Murphy, American Law Division 
Abstract: This report provides summaries of the major federal laws affecting financial institutions and markets. Arrangement is chronological according to the order of original enactment, with divisions into three periods. The first period begins with the Civil War era and includes the creation of national banks and the Federal Reserve System. The second period encompasses the New Deal and its aftermath, during which a wall was erected and reinforced between commerce and banking. The third or current period is characterized by statutes designed to modernize the financial services industry and, consistent with safety and soundness, eliminate barriers to the provision of nationwide integrated financial services. In the interest of national security, criminal law enforcement, and protecting personal privacy, the current period is also marked by increased federal regulation of customer information maintained by financial institutions.
Pages: 9
Date: April 1, 2008