Regulatory Roundup

MUTUAL FUNDS: Proposal by the National Association of Securities Dealers to regulate broker-dealers operating in banks. Specifics include prohibiting use of confidential bank records in cross-marketing of brokerage products and requiring strict physical separation of deposit- taking and brokerage operations. Comments were due Feb. 15.

FOREIGN BANKS: Proposal to establish criteria for evaluating the operations of a foreign bank that is not subject to regulation on a consolidated basis in its home country. Published by the Fed Dec. 13. Comments were due Feb. 13.

DIVIDENDS: Proposal to allow healthy thrifts to pay dividends or buy back stock without notifying their regulator. Published by the Office of Thrift Supervision Dec. 5. Comments were due Feb. 3.

PREMIUM RATES: Proposal seeks ideas for changing the deposit insurance assessment base. Options include keeping the current base, adding in other liabilities, and converting the base to assets. Published by the FDIC Oct. 5. Comments were due Feb. 2.

EFT: Proposal to finalize an interim rule allowing bank ATMs to print receipts without a customer's complete account number. Purpose is to make it more difficult for thieves to use account numbers to defraud financial institutions. Published by the Fed Dec. 2. Comments were due Feb. 1.

TYING: Proposal to allow institutions to reduce or waive fees for customers who maintain a minimum balance in a bank product, such as a checking account, and nonbank products, such as brokerage accounts. Currently, customers cannot combine bank and nonbank accounts to get discounts. Published by the Fed Oct. 26. Comments were due Dec. 9.