MFDF News Feed

June 16, 2025

Key concepts, terminology, mechanics of the process, roles and responsibilities of borrowers and lenders, and requirements specific to mutual funds in the security lending market will be covered in the webinar.

June 12, 2025

The amendments from May 29, instead require the advisor to provide an assessment to the board of the breached thresholds and then provide remediation recommendations for the board to consider. Additionally, the revised application removes some of the prescriptive information that the board would have to be given in what appears to be an attempt to better equip the board to exercise its oversight rather than management.

June 11, 2025

In the third installment of MFDF Chair Buddy Donohue’s conflicts of interest series, featured in Fund Board Views, attorney conflicts of interest are addressed.

June 10, 2025

While Member questions were a brief portion of the total hearing, topics addressed included a move away from regulation by enforcement, the development of a cryptocurrency regulatory framework, investor protection, proxy advisory firms, SEC staff departures, PCAOB consolidation, SEC civil case dismissals, and the impact of EU sustainability regulations on U.S. companies, among other topics.

June 9, 2025

The Department of Labor (DOL) under the Trump Administration announced it would end its defense of former President Biden’s ESG rule and rescind 2022 guidance that expressed the former Administration’s concerns with including cryptocurrency in retirement plan investment menus.

June 5, 2025

The hearing focused on the impact of tariffs, outbound investment, the Basel III Endgame, recent market volatility, digital assets regulatory framework, and the role of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, among other topics.

June 4, 2025

As part of MFDF's The Audit Committee Chair's Guide series, John Braun, partner at Cohen & Co. and David Roeber, partner at Stradley Ronon, will discuss the core knowledge to foster effective leadership of the fund's audit committee including how to analyze financial statements, hold discussions with management, and the importance of auditor independence.

June 3, 2025

K&L Gates partners Varu Chilakamarri and Craig Leen will discuss recent developments related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in President Trump’s second term. The program will explore what boards should be considering when overseeing DEI policies, including workforce policies, DEI and/or affirmative action program compliance, training, recruiting, compensation, and more.

June 2, 2025

The conference brings together a variety of asset management industry participants, regulators, commentators, and academics to discuss emerging trends in the industry. Panels will focus on the evolution of the Investment Adviser Act and Investment Company Act, digital assets, tokenization, product innovation in registered funds, and retail access to private markets.

May 29, 2025

The study observes that the greatest barrier to widespread AI adoption may be the very legitimate concern that individuals have about the risks, safety, and potential societal impact of the uses of AI. The study results incorporate responses from 48,000 respondents across 47 countries and also includes specific findings from its U.S. respondents.

May 28, 2025

During the program, MFDF's Leslie Beckbridge will review fund board recruitment activity in 2024-2025. The session will focus on highlights from MFDF’s Fund Board Recruitment Practices Report and observations from search activity in MFDF’s Director Candidate Database in 2024 and the first half of 2025.

May 27, 2025

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins testified before the members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. The hearing, part of the FY2026 appropriations process, was Chair Atkins first time testifying in front of Congress as the new SEC Chair.

May 22, 2025

The article underscores the complexity in addressing conflicts in the broker-dealer space due to the vast array of products and services available.

May 21, 2025

For over 25 years, MPI has released its "Survey of Mutual Fund Director/Trustee Compensation and Organizational Practices" which provides aggregate compensation data received through confidential questionnaires, as well as SEC filings submitted by all fund industry complexes. This webinar will provide highlights from the most recent survey.

May 20, 2025

In his remarks, Chair Atkins noted that to execute on President Trump’s vision to make the United States the ‘crypto capital of the planet’ the SEC needs to “keep pace with innovation and consider whether regulatory changes are needed to accommodate on-chain securities and other crypto assets.” He noted that establishing a crypto market regulatory structure/regime is a key priority and that regulation will focus on “clear rules of the road” rather than “ad hoc enforcement actions.”

May 19, 2025

The panelists will discuss the core responsibilities of series trust fund boards and highlight best practices required for effective governance for the niche issues facing series trust boards.

May 15, 2025

The program will focus on the current political and economic landscape, and panelists will talk about how leading boards are preparing to meet the geostrategic challenges of today and tomorrow.

May 14, 2025

The study notes that most companies are evolving away from highly-visible DEI efforts and instead moving toward more scaled-back efforts that are “more sustainable and resilient.”

May 13, 2025

The report notes that between 2021 and 2023 “460 net-new active ETFs were launched, whereas the number of active mutual funds decreased by 260 during the same period.” The report emphasizes that fund flows into ETFs will likely continue to increase and that managers should consider this demand when contemplating the launch of a new product(s).

May 12, 2025

The virtual program will cover developments impacting ESG investing in the United States from the US administration and Congress, state legislators and attorneys general, and private litigants.