Rule 144A changes the restrictions on buying and selling privately placed securities to qualified institutional buyers without the need to register with the SEC.
According to the rule, sophisticated institutional investors do not need as much information and protection as individual investors.
Rule 144A shortens the holding period for securities.
Critics say the rule lacks transparency and a clear definition of what constitutes a qualified institutional buyer.
Concerns remain that Rule 144A could grant unscrupulous foreign companies access to the US market without SEC scrutiny.
The 2,000 investor limit or rule is a key threshold for private businesses that are unwilling to disclose financial information for public consumption.
The 500 shareholder threshold was a rule set by the SEC that required companies to publicly disclose financial statements and other information if they reached 500 or more individual shareholders.
The Basel Accords are part of a series of three international banking regulatory meetings that established capital requirements and risk measurements for global banks.
Basel III is an international regulatory agreement that introduced a series of reforms aimed at improving regulation, supervision and risk management in the banking sector.
Black money includes all funds earned as a result of illegal activities, as well as other legitimate income that is not taken into account for tax purposes.
A boiler room is a scheme in which sellers use high-pressure selling tactics to persuade investors to buy securities, including speculative and fraudulent securities.