Former SEC Head: Some Regulations on Hedge Funds Needed

David Ruder, SEC chairman under President Ronald Reagan, called for limited regulations on hedge funds at a hearing of the House Oversight committee this morning.

Ruder said that the SEC should get the power to "register and inspect" all hedge funds and get a look at the risk positions of hedge funds. That information should be shared on a confidential basis with the Federal Reserve, Ruder said, but not disclosed to other hedge firms or made public.

Such limited transparency could give federal authorities an early warning on which hedge funds may be in trouble, or are taking excessive risk. That could possibly prevent an impact on on the wider financial sector if the hedge fund fails.

-- Frank Ahrens

The Ticker is Twittering!