In 2016, expect key regulations that ensure financial firms can survive an economic downturn and constrain the Fed's ability to rescue lenders during a crisis.

This week, a Dodd-Frank Act regulation takes effect that limits the Fed's emergency lending powers, and mandates that any dispersed funds be "broad based," rather than aimed at a specific, struggling company.

The measure requires that financing 

1) be open to at least five companies

2) can't go to insolvent firms, and

3) must be approved by the U.S. Treasury secretary.

The Dodd-Frank requirement that big banks hold enough liquidity to weather a month of severe stress, goes into 90 percent effectiveness this week from 80 percent in 2015.  In 2017, the requirement for a stockpile of easy-to-sell assets - first outlined by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision - takes full effect.

U.S. banking regulators have been working on their own version of the Basel Committee's 2015 final, global accord on net stable funding ratio. The U.S. proposal will most likely require banks to hold a minimum amount of stable funding that can last a year.