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In the last two years, FINRA has barred more than 730 brokers and associated persons. What was the most prevalent rule violation that resulted in these bars?

If you are of a certain generation, you probably remember watching the Schoolhouse Rock! videos and can still remember the words to “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here.” My favorite was “I’m Just a Bill,” because in just over three minutes, it explained the entire legislative process in easy to understand terms.

During your first week at a new job, you typically focus on the basics – locating your office, setting up your computer and getting acquainted with new colleagues and acronyms.

When it became clear that FINRA was going to move to a fully remote work environment in early March, most of the focus was on how to continue conducting business in a fully digital environment. But several functions FINRA performs still require sending materials in the mail to firms and individuals.

FINRA has been on a hiring spree, working to fill scores of open positions. But given that almost all employees are working remotely as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, how are these new hires getting the equipment to start work from home? The solution: “FINRA in a Box.”

There is no higher priority for FINRA than protecting senior investors from financial exploitation. Thus, every year we bring dozens of enforcement actions against brokers who harm senior investors, either through fraud schemes, conversion, churning of accounts, or otherwise.

Business continuity planning—or “BCP” for short—is a term most of us have heard. But do we really know what it means? And how important is it leading up to times like these, as we navigate our response to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Within FINRA, we view ourselves as working on the “front lines” of investor protection.  What does that mean? 

First in a series highlighting colleagues working behind the scenes to help FINRA achieve our mission. Raj Pillai is no stranger to crises. Y2K. 9/11. The Northeast blackout of 2003. Superstorm Sandy. He has worked through them all, the latter at FINRA, which he joined in 2011.

For years, the London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) set the benchmark for global interest rates and impacted trillions of dollars in financial activity, leading many to call it as “the world’s most important number.” However, following controversies and reform efforts after the 2008 financial crisis, regulators in the United States and United K