Knowra Securities and Exchange Commission Securities and Exchange Commission The Securities and Exchange Commission is a United States federal agency that regulates securities markets and enforces federal securities laws. It oversees public-company disclosures, investment professionals, and securities exchanges.
Securities Act of 1933 : A U.S. federal law requiring registration and disclosure for most public offerings of securities. The SEC administers this law’s registration and antifraud requirements for new securities offerings.
Wall Street Crash of 1929 : A collapse in U.S. stock prices that began in October 1929 and preceded the Great Depression. The crash intensified demands for federal securities regulation.
Public company : A company whose securities are publicly traded or offered to the investing public. Public companies face SEC registration, periodic reporting, and disclosure requirements.
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority : A private self-regulatory organization that oversees U.S. broker-dealers under SEC supervision. FINRA conducts much broker-dealer oversight, but it is not a federal agency like the SEC.
Sarbanes–Oxley Act : A 2002 U.S. law that strengthened corporate auditing, internal controls, and financial-reporting oversight. It expanded SEC responsibilities after major accounting scandals.
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 : A U.S. federal law regulating securities trading, exchanges, brokers, and public-company reporting. This law created the SEC and supplies much of its authority over secondary markets.
Great Depression : A worldwide economic crisis beginning in 1929, marked by severe unemployment and falling production. The depression formed the wider crisis in which Congress built federal market oversight.
Investment adviser : A person or firm that, for compensation, provides securities investment advice or manages investment portfolios. The SEC registers and oversees many investment advisers, subject to statutory thresholds and exceptions.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission : A U.S. federal agency regulating derivatives markets, including futures and swaps. Its derivatives jurisdiction differs from the SEC’s primary focus on securities.
Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act : A 2010 U.S. law that reformed financial regulation after the 2007–2008 crisis. It added SEC mandates concerning areas including derivatives, securities disclosure, and investment funds.
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