ETF indexes face clean up

Regulators want to increase the level of transparency of ETF indexes and eliminate the conflicts of interest that could emerge between an index firm and affiliated ETF provider. But some participants think regulators risk going too far

The Libor rate-rigging scandal continues to have many repercussions. Regulators have looked for alternatives to the submission process, and have reviewed governance and oversight of the Libor methodology. But the after-effects have been felt beyond Libor itself – the integrity of financial benchmarks more generally have also been questioned.

Supervisors have looked to respond, and the regulatory reactions have come thick and fast. The International Organization of Securities Commissions (Iosco)