Abstract:
This paper compares and contrasts the overall effects of the Glass-Steagall and Dodd Frank Acts. The legal components of both acts were researched, followed by an event study analysis of different types of data two years before and after the year that each act was implemented. Inflation rates, the annual averages of Moody's Seasoned Aaa Corporate Bond Yields, and unemployment rates within the United States were represented in tables and line graphs from the years 2008-2012 to show the effects of the Dodd Frank Act and 1931-1935 to show the effects of the Glass-Steagall Act. Data from inflation rates, the annual averages of Moody's Seasoned Aaa Corporate Bond Yields, and unemployment rates within the United States two years before and after both acts to the data were compared to the annual returns of the S&P 500 with dividends included two years before and after both acts to further compare the effects of the acts to market performance. It was found that there was a strong pattern in the annual averages of Moody's Seasoned Aaa Corporate Bond Yields, a weaker pattern in inflation rates, and some similarities in unemployment rates when comparing data sets of the event study. There were no patterns between Moody's Seasoned Aaa Corporate Bond Yields and the annual returns of the S&P 500 with dividends included, but there were minimal patterns of the annual returns of the S&P 500 corresponding with dividends included between inflation and unemployment within both time periods.
