FiSolve Weekly News Digest: June 19, 2026

Here is what we are reading in the news this week...

FINRA Expels Firm, Co-Founders for

Excessive Trading and Churning

FINRA has expelled a member firm and barred its cofounders from association with any member firm for churning and excessively trading customer accounts in violation of Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) and FINRA rules. Separately, FINRA suspended the firm’s supervisors, who both failed to identify and investigate red flags related to the co-founders misconduct, for three months in all principal capacities. FINRA also fined them $5,000 each and required them to complete 20 hours of supervision-related continuing education. Read more here.

SEC, CFTC Seek Public Input on Data Reporting Frameworks for Security-Based Swap and Swap Markets

The Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued a joint request for public comment on potential opportunities to harmonize, modernize, and streamline data reporting requirements in their regulation of the security-based swap and swap markets, respectively. The request for comment is intended to assist the agencies in evaluating whether changes to the design, scope, and structure of security-based swap and swap data reporting requirements would lead to greater alignment between their respective reporting frameworks. The request seeks input on a variety of topics, including harmonization across frameworks, operational complexity and implementation consideration, among others. The comment period is open for sixty days. Read more here.

WSJ: Work from Home is Here to Stay—

Even if Some CEOs Don’t Love It

The Wall Street Journal is reporting despite high-profile return to office mandates from major CEOs, remote work has stabilized at a lasting “new normal,” with about 26% of paid workdays still done from home. This level is far above pre pandemic levels showing that employer pushback hasn’t significantly reduced flexibility. The article highlights a disconnect between leadership rhetoric and actual labor-market behavior: even as large firms (including financial institutions) demand more in office time, overall workplace occupancy and commuting data suggest only modest increases in office returns. In financial services specifically, the article points to prominent resistance from bank leaders such as JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, who has criticized remote work and pushed for full-time office attendance, illustrating how Wall Street firms are among the most aggressive in calling employees back. However, these mandates represent only a slice of the broader workforce, and the persistence of remote and hybrid work reflects structural changes in worker preferences and employer competition for talent, making a full reversion to pre pandemic office norms unlikely even in industries like finance. Read more here.

CFTC Issues a Request for Information to Facilitate Innovation and Competition for Fintech Firms

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued a Request for Information to assist the CFTC in identifying regulations, guidance documents, orders, no-action letters, and other items (“CFTC regulatory item(s)”) that unduly impede fintech firms from entering into partnerships with federally regulated institutions as well as CFTC regulatory items that could be amended to streamline application processes for eligible fintech firms. This Request for Information will assist the CFTC in complying with its obligations under Executive Order 14405. Additionally, the Request for Information is designed to help the CFTC identify which CFTC regulatory item(s) could be updated to facilitate innovation and competition for fintech firms. The comment period will be open for twenty-one days. Read more here.

Consumer AI Enters a High-Stakes Phase of Concentration, Pricing Power, and Selective Venture Wins

PitchBook’s Q2 2026 State of Consumer AI report finds that the sector is entering a more mature, concentrated phase marked by a small number of dominant platforms capturing most of the value, with the top 10 companies accounting for nearly 80% of the $1.4 trillion in consumer AI unicorn valuations as of 2025. Venture outcomes are increasingly uneven, with high failure rates at the seed stage, especially among oversized rounds, while Series B has emerged as the most attractive entry point due to strong success rates and returns. M&A activity is accelerating as the primary exit route, driven by large strategic buyers acquiring talent and user bases rather than waiting for IPOs. Meanwhile, consumer AI products are achieving unprecedented pricing power (often exceeding $100 per month), reflecting a convergence of consumer and enterprise willingness to pay, even as broader consumer sentiment weakens and compresses the mid-market opportunity. Overall, the report highlights a market defined by rapid adoption—evidenced by billions of app downloads—but also intensifying competition, tighter capital discipline, and structural shifts favoring later-stage and multistage investors. Read more here.

ESMA Issues 2025 Annual Report with Focus on Stronger Supervision, Regulatory Simplification, and Innovation

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published its Annual Report for 2025, highlighting a year of progress in strengthening EU’s financial markets through enhanced supervision, regulatory simplification and innovation. Set against a backdrop of heightened global uncertainty and ongoing discussions on the Savings and Investments Union, the report identifies ESMA’s goal of continued contribution to orderly, resilient and attractive EU capital markets. Read more here.

📣 NEXT WEEK!📣

Compliance Anonymous

FiSolve's next Compliance Anonymous session is set for 12 PM ET on June 24. This confidential forum brings together legal, compliance, and operations professionals to openly discuss real-world challenges without attribution or judgment. Participation is free, but to ensure meaningful engagement, seating is limited. Reserve your spot today here.

💡FiSolve's Negotiation Tip of the Week💡

Unpleasant Change of Circumstances

When conditions shift for the worse during a negotiation, pause and realign the conversation around shared goals and updated facts. Acknowledge the change clearly and maintain composure to preserve credibility. Shift the discussion away from price alone and focus on risk allocation, timing, and value protection. Explain how the new circumstances affect both parties so interests remain transparent. Propose structured adjustments such as contingent terms, performance-based pricing, or phased commitments to balance uncertainty. This approach signals discipline and adaptability, which helps sustain trust while opening paths to durable agreement.

Happy Juneteenth!

Juneteenth, observed on June 19, commemorates the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the emancipation of enslaved people—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

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