Rejigging financial regulation is in vogue. But, in the world of international finance, how well do different regulatory systems join up? This column argues that the US Dodd Frank Act and Basel III are, in part, incompatible and that harmonising them may lead to unintended consequences. The US ought to tread carefully here but should also try hard to maintain the spirit of better financial regulation.

Will the US Dodd-Frank Act work? This column argues that unless institutional oversight shifts from the current fragmented structure to a federal one, the Dodd-Frank reforms could be prevented from having any significant positive effect on the surveillance of the financial system.

Of the recent reforms to make financial systems more robust, the US Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act stands out. Despite being broadly in favour of its proposals, this column identifies flaws in its design that fail to deal with the main causes of the crisis and that will lead to further implicit government guarantees.