Dodd-Frank Act
This series was originally prepared by Heather Byrne, Jennifer Uren, and Jackeline Solivan of the Cornell Law School Securities Law Clinic.
The Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was enacted in 2010 in response to the 2008 financial crisis. It reshaped U.S. financial regulation by expanding federal oversight of banks and other financial institutions, imposing stricter capital and risk-management standards, and creating mechanisms to monitor systemic risk across the financial system. The Act also established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to regulate consumer lending and financial products, introduced new rules for derivatives and securities trading, and set procedures for the orderly resolution of failing financial firms. Together, these reforms sought to strengthen market stability, reduce the likelihood of future crises, and provide greater protection for consumers and investors. The following pages provide an overview of the major provisions of the Act.
[Last reviewed in September of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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