The regulation of broker-dealers and other financial professionals has become a central issue in the post-financial crisis world. Questions arose concerning the duty a broker-dealer owes its clients and whether it is appropriate to place different duties on financial advisors. Issues concerning the extraterritorial reach of the United States regulations on broker-dealers are increasingly important as the world's financial markets become more interconnected. Dodd-Frank required that the SEC look at the duties broker-dealers owe to their clients with the ultimate goal that the agency would promulgate regulations or guidance in this important field. Broker-dealers are a key point of access to the markets for many investors and as such play a significant role in the proper functioning of the world's financial markets.
