When President Clinton signed the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act into law in November, financial and legal pundits predicted vast restructuring and consolidation in the financial services industry, with banks, securities firms and insurance companies forming alliances and repositioning themselves to provide one-stop financial shopping for consumers.
Yet as the calendar creeps closer to the law’s March 11 effective date, one thing is certain: Any fundamental changes the law may cause in the financial services industry will not happen overnight.
