About the SEC
Our Goals
Our Approach
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The SEC is an independent federal agency, established pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, headed by a five-member Commission. The Commissioners are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The President designates one of the Commissioners as the Chair.

The federal securities laws task the SEC with a broad and diverse set of responsibilities, including to:

  • Engage and interact with the investing public, directly and on a daily basis, through a variety of channels, including investor roundtables, education programs, and alerts on SEC.gov;
  • Oversee annual trading of approximately $118 trillion in U.S. equity markets, $2.8 trillion in exchange-traded equity options, and $237 trillion in the fixed income markets;
  • Selectively review the disclosures and financial statements of approximately 5,248 exchange-listed public companies with an aggregate market capitalization of $51 trillion;
  • Oversee the activities of more than 29,000 registered entities, including investment advisers, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, broker-dealers, and transfer agents, who collectively employ at least 1 million individuals in the United States;
  • Oversee 24 national securities exchanges, 9 credit rating agencies, 7 active registered clearing agencies, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB), the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB); and
  • Provide critical market information through technology systems, such as the more than 70 million pages of documents available on the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) system.

The members of the Commission act jointly to set and enforce the rules that govern the securities markets and its participants. The Chair is responsible for overseeing the executive and administrative functions of the agency. This includes supervision over approximately 4,500 staff members who are organized into 6 divisions and 25 offices located in the Washington, DC, headquarters and 11 regional locations. This Strategic Plan sets forth the Chair’s vision for the next four years. It was developed in consultation with, and with input from, all Commissioners, but may not necessarily represent the views of all Commissioners.

Our Mission

To protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation.

Our Vision

To promote capital markets that inspire public confidence and provide a diverse array of financial opportunities to retail and institutional investors, entrepreneurs, public companies, and other market participants.

Our Values

INTEGRITY
We inspire public confidence and trust by adhering to the highest ethical standards.

EXCELLENCE
We are committed to excellence in pursuit of our mission on behalf of the American public.

ACCOUNTABILITY
We embrace our responsibilities and hold ourselves accountable to the American public.

TEAMWORK
We recognize that success depends on a skilled, diverse, coordinated team committed to the highest standards of trust, hard work, cooperation, and communication.

FAIRNESS
We treat investors, market participants, and others fairly and in accordance with the law.

EFFECTIVENESS
We strive for innovative, flexible, and pragmatic regulatory approaches that achieve our goals and recognize the ever-changing nature of our capital markets.

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