Hi friend, 

For many of us, the beginning of 2025 has been deeply troubling if not traumatic. President Trump claimed the results of the 2024 presidential election was a repudiation of the status quo and that he was elected by a multi-racial coalition of working-class Americans. Yet President Trump has filled his administration with billionaires and Wall Street executives. We know from personal experience, while they think what’s best for them is also best for America, their profit maximizing often comes at the expense of Main Street Americans.  Trump’s firing of CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, who returned more than $6 billion to Main Street Americans ripped off by the financial industry over the last four years, is a clear sign that he stands with Wall Street, not with the working Americans he claims elected him.

That’s why our team will track, scrutinize and highlight the Trump administration’s actions that hurt Main Street Americans and focus on policies that will create economic growth and increase economic security. Our CEO, Dennis Kelleher, did just that in a recent webinar on Trump’s election, decades of deregulation, and the catastrophic financial crash Trump is going to cause. Dennis not only detailed Trump’s dangerous regulatory agenda but also discussed the dire economic circumstances facing Americans because of an unregulated financial sector that prioritizes its bonuses. Fighting to change that and get finance to support the real economy and Main Street Americans is what Better Markets does every day.

Meanwhile, our Shayna Olesiuk took on Wall Street’s lobbyists in an NPR interview on the importance of stress tests for our financial system and our economy. Shayna also warned about the potential banking crisis resulting from climate catastrophes like the tragic California wildfires. This is an especially important warning as the administration withdraws from the fight against climate change. Our team also released an extensive report on the importance of whistleblowers in protecting our financial system in this deregulatory environment, and provided positive visions for how Congress and the SEC can actually stand up for Main Street.

With your support and partnership, our team will continue to take on the Trump administration, the financial industry, or any group that puts its interests above the public interest.

Best, 

Travis Horr  
Director of External Affairs

The SEC's whistleblower program incentivizes individuals aware of lawbreaking in the securities markets to come forward and help the SEC do its job of stopping fraudsters and protecting investors and markets. Our team explains why the SEC's whistleblower program will become even more important in a deregulatory environment.

The wildfires in California have caused billions in damages, exposing critical vulnerabilities in our financial system. As homes are lost and insurance falls short, banks—especially community banks—are at risk. It's time for urgent action to address climate-related financial risks.

From Kim Kardashian to Logan Paul or organic social media stars, "finfluencers" are shaping investment choices—but often without disclosure or regulation. Our new report explains that as retail investing grows, regulators must protect investors from the risks posed by unqualified, paid promoters.

The ongoing SEC v. Ripple case has significant implications for the future of cryptocurrency regulation. By narrowing the definition of an "investment contract," the court has left retail investors vulnerable to fraud, manipulation, and misleading sales tactics—protections that the securities laws were designed to ensure. Our new amicus brief in support of the SEC emphasizes the dangers posed to everyday investors if the district court's ruling is upheld.

Our team commemorated Martin Luther King’s legacy with a focus on his vision for economic justice. His call for equitable access to economic opportunities is closely tied to the work of U.S. financial regulatory agencies, which play crucial roles in the economy and financial system.

Last year, a district court vacated the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's ban on election betting. The district court not only misread the law but also failed to consider the damaging impact of its decision.  Before oral arguments, our team outlined the 12 leading reasons why the appellate Court should reverse the district court’s ruling.

Donald Trump enters the White House with a unified Republican Congress. Many lawmakers, including Trump, ran their campaigns on the promise of lowering costs and unrigging the economy for Main Street workers, consumers, and families. It will now be up to them to enact that agenda and deliver on these campaign promises.

With Paul Atkins nominated to lead the SEC, will the Trump administration's rhetoric of supporting the 'working man' match its actions? Our team explains what the SEC can do to actually help Main Street.

By killing or gutting so many rules, Powell is acting as the de facto lobbyist for Wall Street’s biggest, most dangerous banks. If he was literally JPMorgan Chase’s chief lobbyist, what would Powell be doing differently?

– Dennis Kelleher in The American Prospect

January 9

Hsu's Tenure Policing Banks Guided by Examiner's Eye, Risk Focus

January 15

Big banks are suing the Fed over stress tests

February 3

California's wildfires could spark a dangerous new banking crisis

January 15

S.E.C. Sues Elon Musk Over Twitter-Related Securities Violations

Each month our legal team outlines some of the top cases we're keeping an eye on, the Amicus "Friend of the Court" Briefs we have filed, and why everyone with a bank account, credit card, mortgage loan, or retirement loan should be interested in those cases.  

It's been a busy month on Capitol Hill as the new Congress was sworn in. Committees were organized and began to held nomination hearings on President Trump’s cabinet picks.

Elizabeth Warren: If Trump Wants to Unrig the Economy, I’m In
The Wall Street Journal, January 13

CFPB Says Capital One Stiffed Savings Customers Out Of $2B
Law 360, January 15

Is Wall Street ready to stay up all night?
Financial Times, January 31