 1338 (November 12, 1999), is an Act of the United States Congress which repealed part of the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933, opening up competition among banks, securities companies and insurance companies.The Glass–Steagall Act prohibited a bank from offering investment, commercial banking, and insurance services.This act of deregulation has been cited as one reason for the subprime mortgage crisis, which in turn is cited as a prime component of the 2007–2012 global financial crisis.