The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, is dedicated to investor protection and market integrity. We regulate one critical part of the securities industry—brokerage firms doing business with the public in the United States. We carry out our mission by overseeing virtually every aspect of the brokerage industry. Every day, we work to: • write and enforce rules governing 3,900 firms and 635,000 brokers; • examine firms for compliance with those rules; • foster market transparency; and • inform the investing public. With 3,600 employees working in communities all across the nation, we are the first line of defense for investors.
The Federal Reserve System is the Central Bank of the United States. It was founded by Congress in 1913 to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible and more stable monetary and financial system. Over the years, its role in banking and the economy has expanded.
Today the Federal Reserve's duties fall into four general areas:
Conducting the nation's monetary policy by influencing the monetary and credit conditions in the economy in pursuit of maximum employment, stable prices and moderate long-term interest rates.
Supervising and regulating banking institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the nation's banking and financial system and to protect the credit rights of consumers.
Maintaining the stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk that may arise in financial markets.
Providing financial services to depository institutions, the U.S. government, and foreign official institutions, including playing a major role in operating the nation's payments system.
American Bankers Association is a banking trade association of community, regional, and money center banks, holding companies, savings associations, trust companies, and savings banks. American Bankers Association provides training and education programs, information products, professional certifications, and technical services to its members. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia.