Despite a sense that the Trump administration has been rolling back financial regulations and easing up on Wall Street firms, the U.S. levied more penalties against financial firms and individuals than any other country last year.
According to an analysis by global advisor Duff & Phelps, the U.S. accounted for 94 percent of total penalties levied against firms globally last year at $24.4 billion, up 2 percent from 2016. The country accounted for 99 percent of the global total brought against individuals at $621.3 million, up 23 percent from the prior year.
While global fine amounts were up 30 percent from 2015 to 2017, global penalties are projected to be lower this year, particularly in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe. It’s expected to drop to $8.1 billion in the first six months of this year, down from $18.35 billion over the same period in 2017.
“Massive fines on firms have lost their power to shock, not just in the industry but also among the public,” said Nick Bayley, managing director of regulatory and compliance consulting at Duff & Phelps, in a statement.
The research was compiled using Corlytics’ RiskFusion Global Enforcement database.