RJ and Makay

As part of their opposition to the Dodd-Frank financial reform law enacted last July in response to the financial crisis, Congressional Republicans plan to introduce four bills Wednesday that would repeal or amend parts of the new law.

"It's the first direct assault,'' a congressional aide says. ''Up until now it's been about trying to deprive the agencies of what they need to implement Dodd-Frank.''

The percentage of Americans who trust the U.S. financial system has climbed from the lows of the financial crisis and recession, rising recently to 26% from 20% about a year ago. However, that obviously still leaves plenty of room for improvement.

Trust in the financial system is measured with the Chicago Booth/Kellogg School Financial Trust Index, which is calculated quarterly by University of Chicago and Northwestern University researchers using the results of a representative survey of about 1,000 Americans. The survey is designed to gauge respondents' trust in the institutions "in which they can invest their money." The latest survey covered the fourth quarter and likely revealed an uptick in the trust index related to improvement in the economy, stock markets, and employment outlook.