

rep_ins_domain_err_1.jpg)
As a result of the financial failures of the Great Depression, Congress in 1933 passed the Glass-Steagall Act prohibiting national and state banks from affiliating with securities companies. The history of the GLBA has its roots in the separation of banks, brokerage companies, and insurance companies.

The removal of these regulations, however, raised significant risks that these new financial institutions would have access to an incredible amount of personal information, with no restrictions upon its use. The GLBA primarily sought to "modernize" financial services-that is, end regulations that prevented the merger of banks, stock brokerage companies, and insurance companies. Additionally, the GLBA codifies protections against pretexting, the practice of obtaining personal information through false pretenses. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), which is also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, provides limited privacy protections against the sale of your private financial information. Information that many would consider private-including bank balances and account numbers-is regularly bought and sold by banks, credit card companies, and other financial institutions. Outside the Beltway, it is not well known that a Victoria's Secret catalog was responsible for a key aspect of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
