The Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980 has been the most comprehensive attempt at financial and monetary reform since the 1930s. Based on the authors' experience as visiting scholars in the Division of Banking Research and Economic Policy at the Office of the Comptroller in 1980, this study explores the act's historical antecedents, its purpose, and its potential effects on the financial system and the condut of monetary policy during the 1980s. The authors examine the strengths and weaknesses of this important first step in the series of reforms required to improve monetary control and create a more flexible, efficient, and competitive financial system.