FINRA Considering Merging Enforcement Programs, Cook Says

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is considering combining two of its enforcement programs to better streamline its processes.

Currently, FINRA has two separate enforcement programs, one in its member regulation group, which focuses on member firms and their employees, and another in its market regulation group, which oversees over-the-counter trading. “We are one team, and all of us are responsible for FINRA’s success,” FINRA President and CEO Robert Cook said May 17 at the 2017 FINRA annual conference in Washington.

According to Cook, many stakeholders view the units as two different regulators, which could lead to duplicative and burdensome efforts ...