Can a recurrence of rumor-driven collapse (a la Bear Stearns or, worse, Lehman) be prevented? With President Obama stating in his inaugural address that “without a watchful eye, the economy and the nation can spin out of control,” the question is a serious one. For evidence that a rumor mill can bring a company to its knees, one need look no further than the rubble of failed financial institutions like Lehman Brothers still quaking around us. FINRA apparently believes it can control the fallout and, like a finger-wagging grade school teacher, is stepping in with a proposed rule to tame rumor-prone public markets. However, the desire to tame these rumors runs headlong into the twin human propensities toward gossip and profit. Can FINRA win?