As SEC chair Mary Schapiro and fundsters continue to battle over possible new money market fund regulations, a MarketWatch columnist has a different suggestion. Schapiro wants fund firms to create money fund capital buffers and switch to floating net asset values (NAVs) [see MFWire.com, 2/27/2012], but David Weidner of MarketWatch argues thinks that the burden of change should fall on money fund investors and taxpayers, instead.

"Ultimately, the problem isn't the regulators or the fund industry; it's those investors," Weidner writes. "They expect safety without paying for it. They want higher returns than offered by insured deposits."

As for taxpayers, he notes that they, too, should do some "soul-searching" about money funds, as money funds buy government debt. Though perhaps money fund regulatory changes or risk-taking issues are not top of mind for taxpayers this election cycle. 

Edited by: Neil Anderson, Managing Editor


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