Summary FINRA, as a self-regulatory organization, is informed by and benefits from engagement with and the expertise of our member firms, investors and other interested parties on regulatory and policy initiatives related to FINRA’s mission of promoting market integrity and investor protection.
Arbitration is an important means for resolving disputes involving customers, FINRA member firms and their associated persons. FINRA’s Dispute Resolution Services (DRS) arbitration forum provides a fair and efficient alternative to litigation, promoting investor protection and market integrity.
Proposed Rule Filing Relating to Simplified Arbitration
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that David Woodcock has been appointed Director of the Division of Enforcement, effective May 4, 2026. Mr. Woodcock is currently a partner in the Dallas and Washington, D.C. offices of Gibson, Dunn…
U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Public Affairs Press Release: April 8 , 2026 Contact: Treasury Public Affairs, Press@treasury.gov U.S.-UK Financial Regulatory Working Group Winter 2026: Joint Statement The 12th official meeting of the U.S.-UK Financial Regulatory Working Group (Working Group) was hosted by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in Washington, DC on February 25, 2026. Senior officials from the U.S. Treasury and His Majesty’s (HM) Treasury were joined by representatives from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Securities and Exchange Commission, Bank of England, and Financial Conduct Authority. Participation varied across themes, with participants expressing views on issues in their organizations’ respective areas of responsibility. The Working Group emphasized close, ongoing U.S. and UK cooperation and focused on several key themes, including: 1) the economic and financial stability outlook, 2) the Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future (TTMF), 3) digital finance and innovation, and 4) regulatory modernization and developments. The meeting opened with a broad discussion of the U.S. and UK economic and financial stability outlooks, with participants taking stock of current economic trends and market conditions. Both U.S. Treasury and HM Treasury emphasized facilitating economic growth and cross-border activity, while also modernizing regulation and protecting financial stability. Participants received a progress report on the work of the TTMF, including a readout of a joint industry roundtable hosted in Washington, DC the prior day. During this TTMF engagement, U.S. Treasury hosted representatives from HM Treasury, and U.S. and UK regulatory agencies, for a second round of industry engagement exploring opportunities to improve links between our capital markets and to collaborate on digital assets. The TTMF aims to report back to both Treasuries with recommendations via the Working Group in summer 2026. Participants discussed issues related to digital finance and innovation, noting broad support for promoting the use and growth of digital assets and digital financial innovation globally. Authorities discussed their respective priorities for digital assets and provided updates on the progress of regulation in both jurisdictions, including to support the adoption of stablecoins for payments. UK participants also provided an update about their Digital Securities Sandbox, and the Working Group discussed potential opportunities to support cross-border innovation. Participants emphasized the importance of continued bilateral engagement on digital assets developments in their respective jurisdictions. Participants also shared recent developments in their respective work on payments modernization. Representatives exchanged views on their respective approaches to artificial intelligence (AI) and both current and future uses of AI in financial services. U.S. and UK authorities discussed ways to work together, to realize the potential of this technology and mitigate the potential risks of AI in financial services. The Working Group discussed approaches to cybersecurity and operational resilience for supervised institutions and their use of critical third parties, including opportunities for authorities’ further engagement. Participants continued discussions about the importance of working with industry to improve the resilience of the financial sector. The Working Group continued with a discussion of developments in non-bank financial intermediation (NBFI), with participants providing updates on their respective domestic agendas and support for continued international engagement on this topic. Participants also offered an overview of developments in their domestic banking systems and banking regulation. Participants conferred on the investment environment, including capital markets regulation. HM Treasury set out the UK government’s program of reforms to reinvigorate capital markets, including its commitment to move to a T+1 settlement cycle in October 2027. The Working Group plans to formally reconvene in summer 2026 to continue its ongoing biannual dialogue, first established in 2018 to deepen bilateral regulatory cooperation between the UK and the U.S. and to enhance robust economic growth; financial stability; investor protection; fair, orderly, and efficient markets; and capital formation across both jurisdictions. ###
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced enforcement results for the fiscal year that ended on September 30, 2025.Central to an effective enforcement program is determining which cases to bring and responsibly stewarding Commission…
WASHINGTON—The FINRA Investor Education Foundation (FINRA Foundation) released today new research, Finfluencer Followers and Social Media Scrollers: The Profile, Patterns, and Pitfalls of Social-Media-Informed Retail Investors.
WASHINGTON—FINRA announced today the launch of the Financial Intelligence Fusion Center (FIFC), a secure portal for FINRA and its member firms to share timely intelligence about cybersecurity and fraud threats and coordinate responses.
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Judge Margaret A. Ryan has resigned from her role as Director of the Division of Enforcement. Principal Deputy Director Sam Waldon has been named Acting Director of the Division, effective March…
WASHINGTON—FINRA’s Board of Governors held its first meeting this year on March 4-5. The Board approved five rule proposals, received an update on enhancements to FINRA's enforcement program and approved the allocation of last year’s fine monies.
The two agencies have entered into a MOU to guide coordination and collaboration to support lawful innovation, uphold market integrity, and ensure investor and customer protection.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Services Agency of Japan (FSA) convened the Spring SEC-FSA Financial Regulatory Dialogue in Tokyo on Feb. 27, 2026.The SEC–FSA Dialogue builds upon longstanding efforts between the two…
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the appointment of Demetrios (Jim) Logothetis, as Chairman, and Mark Calabria, Kyle Hauptman, and Steven Laughton, as Board members, of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). George…
FINRA today announced the appointment of four new Governors to its Board of Governors: Rostin “Russ” Behnam, Tim Carter, Dan Gallagher and Heather Traeger.
FINRA has ordered American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS) to pay $4.6 million in restitution to customers impacted by the firm’s inaccurate representation of how it calculated its fees and its retention of undisclosed, surplus interest.
Board Approved 2026 Budget, Rule Proposals for Electronic Delivery and Customer Protection from Financial Exploitation
Report Highlights Trends in Generative AI, Small Cap and Cyber-Enabled Fraud, Among Other Topics
The Pace of New Investors Entering the Market has Slowed, Investors are Less Comfortable With Risk, Younger Investors Turn to Finfluencers WASHINGTON—The FINRA Investor Education Foundation (FINRA Foundation) released today new research , Investors in the United States: Results from the FINRA Foundation’s National Financial Capability Study , which offers insights i
FINRA has ordered Securities America, Inc. to pay $2 million in restitution to its customers and has fined the firm $1 million for failing to reasonably supervise Class A mutual fund recommendations, resulting in customers paying unnecessary fees through recommendations that were potentially unsuitable or not in customers’ best interest.
FINRA has fined First Trust Portfolios L.P. $10 million for providing excessive non-cash compensation in connection with the distribution of First Trust investment company securities and related misconduct.