Office address: 1700 K St NW, Washington, DC 20006
Website: finra.org
Year established: 2007 Company type: non-government organization
Employees: 4,200+
Expertise: securities regulation, broker-dealer supervision, market surveillance, enforcement and disciplinary actions, investor education, dispute resolution and arbitration, trade reporting transparency, cybersecurity and fraud detection
Parent company: N/A Key people: Robert Cook (CEO); Robert Colby (chief legal officer); Todd Diganci (CFO); Marcia Asquith (EVP); Ornella Bergeron, Denise Dombay, and Maureen Delaney (SVPs)
Financing status: N/A
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is a Washington-based self-regulatory body that supervises more than 3,200 broker-dealers. It enforces rules, monitors trading, and runs tools such as TRACE, BrokerCheck, and the consolidated audit trail. In 2024, it posted $99 million net income and unveiled a crypto education program.
FINRA was officially formed in 2007 through a strategic merger. The National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) joined forces with the New York Stock Exchange's (NYSE) regulatory division to operate as one.
This created a unified, independent regulator for America's securities industry. The move modernized oversight for a changing market and strengthened investor protections nationwide.
FINRA's story actually began decades earlier, in an era of economic recovery. The NASD registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 1939. This registration formalized what traders had been doing informally for generations.
Congress had established the SEC in 1934 following the devastating market crash of 1929. Two years later, lawmakers passed the Maloney Act to regulate off-exchange securities trading more effectively.
The NASD spent 68 years evolving to match the changing securities landscape and technology. By the early 2000s, fragmented regulatory oversight became increasingly inefficient for a modern industry.
The 2007 merger created the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority by combining the NASD's institutional knowledge with the NYSE's regulatory expertise. This unified regulator now oversees all brokers and firms across US markets comprehensively.
As 2024 closed, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority issued substantial penalties against three major firms. These companies faced settlements for sending inaccurate trade information and filing flawed Focus reports. Year-end enforcement actions let both regulators and firms resolve lingering compliance issues cleanly.companies faced settlements for sending inaccurate trade information and filing flawed Focus reports. Year-end enforcement actions let both regulators and firms resolve lingering compliance issues cleanly.
Into 2025, FINRA's Regulatory Oversight Report highlighted three major threats to the industry. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities from third-party technology providers topped concerns alongside AI compliance challenges. Investment fraud schemes also continue to shift as bad actors devise new ways to deceive clients.
FINRA regulates broker-dealers and investment firms in America by combining enforcement with educational resources to protect investors and maintain market integrity:
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority also addresses emerging threats like cybersecurity risks and artificial intelligence compliance challenges. The organization remains focused on supporting a healthy, trustworthy securities market for all participants.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority reports that investor protection and market stability form the core of its mission. The regulator values its employees and delivers market-rate compensation with benefits such as:
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority also says that it does not discriminate in hiring based on disability, veteran status, and other protected classifications under federal, state, and local law. It complies with 41 CFR regulations protecting disabled individuals and veterans.
Robert W. Cook is the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's president and CEO, with prior experience directing the SEC's trading and markets division. Before FINRA, Cook was a partner at a law firm in Washington. His education includes a JD from Harvard Law School, a master's degree from the London School of Economics, and an undergraduate from Harvard.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's leadership team includes the following key executives:
These executives manage the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's daily operations while upholding the organization's core mission to protect investors.
FINRA launched a targeted probe into broker-dealers underwriting small foreign company IPOs to combat pump-and-dump schemes. The regulator required detailed supervisory procedures and due diligence records for offerings between January 2023 and September 2025. This enforcement action positions the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority as a proactive market protector against cross-border securities fraud.
The organization also penalized First Trust Portfolios, an ETF provider, in 2025 with a $10 million settlement for excessive gifts to broker-dealer representatives. The violations spanned from 2018 through February 2024 and included luxury courtside tickets and concert events. This enforcement action illustrates FINRA's commitment to preventing investor harm through strict non-cash compensation oversight.
A NASAA exam sweep shows that more than half of advisers lack policies and procedures to address exploitation of elderly clients.
The broker, Shaiful Chowdhury, was arrested for possession of 10 pounds of marijuana a month after he joined Merrill Lynch in New York City.
The more individually tailored a communication to a customer is, the more likely it is a recommendation, SEC Commissioner Allison Herren Lee said during the NASAA fall meeting.
The broker-dealer self-regulator launched the exam sweep a couple of weeks after the Securities and Exchange Commission released a request for comment about the “digital engagement practices” used by investment advisers and broker-dealers.
The salesman, Anthony DeJohn, improperly used BMO's funds by charging to his corporate card and obtaining reimbursement for $2,270 in daily commuting expenses, according to Finra.
The rule change is effective immediately and will become operative on Jan. 1, if the Securities and Exchange Commission does not object.
Bari Havlik, who's retiring, created a single national examination and risk monitoring program during her stint as Finra's top cop.
The 6 million people who downloaded trading apps in January alone represent a new breed of retail investor that is younger, earns a lower income and is more racially diverse than any investment cohort the industry has seen.
The Investment Company Institute says 25 cents per emailed document is excessive and hurts investors. Broadridge, a fintech firm that sends most proxies and other material to fund shareholders, asserts its system reduces costs for investors.
Paige Pierce, chief executive of Bley Investment Group, emphasized updating the Finra rulebook during her campaign. Timothy Sheve, chief executive of Janney Montgomery Scott, and James Crowley, chief executive of Pershing Advisor Solutions, also were elected to the board.
Two clients complained to LPL about annuity contracts that differed from the ones they agreed to purchase, according to the regulator.
Fintech firms are betting the more than 6 billion text messages that are sent every day are a sign consumers are open to communicating with businesses via text messages.
Incumbent Paige Pierce and challenger Daniel Logue are competing in the only contested race in the election that concludes on Sept. 1.
Marcus Boggs pleaded guilty to wire fraud in March, and on Thursday was sentenced to 42 months in prison. One of the victims was a man who received approximately $5 million in a wrongful conviction settlement.
Advisory firms for years have continued to be plagued by imposters seeking access to clients' accounts.
