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Economic Report of the President

Report - The American Presidency Project

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changes. That is, members can arbitrage price differentials that mayexist between <strong>the</strong> OTC market and <strong>the</strong> exchanges.Futures MarketsThe Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has alsobeen very active in deregulation. In January 1982, <strong>the</strong> CFTC eliminated<strong>the</strong> 03 report, which had obligated large traders in future contractsto report <strong>the</strong>ir market positions daily to <strong>the</strong> CFTC. This actionreduced <strong>the</strong> filing costs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se large traders by around 50 percent.In an effort to lessen <strong>the</strong> burden <strong>of</strong> Federal regulation on <strong>the</strong> futuresindustry, <strong>the</strong> CFTC's new legislation eases <strong>the</strong> disclosure, registration,and rule approval process.OPPORTUNITIES FOR FURTHER DEREGULATION IN THE FINANCIALINDUSTRYWhile <strong>the</strong> financial and securities markets <strong>of</strong> today operate relativelyunencumbered by unnecessary regulations, owing to <strong>the</strong> deregulatoryadvances discussed above, several opportunities for fur<strong>the</strong>r deregulationremain.Geographic Restrictions in BankingFederal laws, such as <strong>the</strong> McFadden Act <strong>of</strong> 1927 and <strong>the</strong> DouglasAmendment to <strong>the</strong> Bank Holding Company Act <strong>of</strong> 1956, continue toimpose geographic restrictions on commercial banking activities. Theformer law subjects <strong>the</strong> branching activities <strong>of</strong> national banks to <strong>the</strong>limits imposed by <strong>the</strong> States; <strong>the</strong> latter law prohibits bank holdingcompanies from engaging in interstate banking unless given specificState authorization to do so. Although <strong>the</strong>se prohibitions may reduce<strong>the</strong> concentration <strong>of</strong> financial resources on a national scale, <strong>the</strong>y mayalso increase market concentration and lessen competition in localbanking markets.Moreover, <strong>the</strong>se restrictions are effective only ins<strong>of</strong>ar as <strong>the</strong>y affect<strong>the</strong> taking <strong>of</strong> retail deposits. Loan production <strong>of</strong>fices, Edge Act corporations,personal finance companies, mortgage lending companies,and bank holding companies have long been <strong>the</strong> means used bybanks to conduct wholesale and retail business on an interstate basis.With <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong> automatic teller machine networks, <strong>the</strong> electronicrevolution is incorporating even retail deposit-taking intolarge-scale operations. This process would be enhanced by exemptingautomatic teller machines from <strong>the</strong> existing restrictions on <strong>the</strong> establishment<strong>of</strong> branch <strong>of</strong>fices. It is time to reconsider <strong>the</strong>se geographicrestrictions because <strong>the</strong>y are probably not in <strong>the</strong> best interests<strong>of</strong> consumers or <strong>the</strong> more efficient financial institutions.121

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