10-K
The comprehensive annual report that U.S. public companies must file with the SEC, containing audited financial statements and detailed business disclosures.
Accredited Investor
An individual or entity that meets SEC wealth thresholds qualifying them to invest in unregistered securities.
AML
Laws and regulations requiring financial institutions to detect, prevent, and report money laundering activities.
Bank Secrecy Act
U.S. law requiring financial institutions to file reports that help detect and prevent money laundering and financial crimes.
Basel III
An international regulatory framework setting minimum capital, leverage, and liquidity requirements for banks.
Beneficial Owner
The natural person who ultimately owns or controls a legal entity, account, or asset, even if registered in another name.
Beneficial Ownership
The natural person who ultimately owns or controls a legal entity or asset, even when nominal ownership is held through shell companies, trusts, or nominees.
Blue Sky Law
State-level securities laws that require the registration of securities offerings and broker-dealers within the state to protect investors from fraud.
Broker-Dealer
A financial firm registered with the SEC that executes securities trades on behalf of clients (broker capacity) and may also trade securities for its own account (dealer capacity).
Capital Adequacy Ratio
A bank's available capital as a percentage of risk-weighted assets, measuring its ability to absorb losses.
CFPB
The US federal agency created by Dodd-Frank to protect consumers in the financial marketplace.
CFTC
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the US federal agency regulating futures, options, and swaps markets.
Compliance Officer
A senior executive responsible for overseeing a financial firm's compliance program, ensuring adherence to laws, regulations, and internal policies.
Compliance Program
A firm's internal system of policies, procedures, and controls designed to ensure adherence to applicable laws and regulations.
CUSIP
A 9-character alphanumeric identifier assigned to North American securities to standardize trading, clearance, and settlement.
Dodd-Frank
The 2010 US financial reform law enacted in response to the 2008 financial crisis, significantly expanding financial regulation.
EDGAR
The SEC's free online database where U.S. public companies file required disclosures.
Enforcement Action
A formal regulatory proceeding brought against a firm or individual for alleged violations of securities laws or regulations.
FATCA
A US law requiring foreign financial institutions to report accounts held by US taxpayers to the IRS.
FDIC Insurance Limit
The maximum amount the FDIC guarantees per depositor, per bank, per ownership category—currently $250,000.
FDIC
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the US agency that insures bank deposits and supervises financial institutions.
Fiduciary
A person or entity legally obligated to act in another party's best interest.
FSOC
A U.S. government body created by Dodd-Frank to monitor systemic risk and coordinate among financial regulators.
FINRA Arbitration
The primary dispute resolution process for investor claims against broker-dealers, conducted by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
FINRA
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the self-regulatory organization overseeing US broker-dealers and securities professionals.
Form 10-Q
The quarterly financial report that U.S. public companies must file with the SEC.
Form 13F
A quarterly SEC filing required of large institutional investment managers that discloses their US equity holdings to the public.
Form 8-K
An SEC filing that publicly traded companies must submit to report significant events that shareholders need to know about promptly.
Form ADV
The SEC registration document filed by investment advisers that discloses their services, fees, conflicts of interest, and disciplinary history.
Form D
An SEC filing required within 15 days when a company sells securities under a Regulation D private placement exemption.
Form S-1
The SEC registration statement required before a company can conduct an initial public offering.
Front-Running
The illegal practice of trading on advance knowledge of a pending client order to profit from the anticipated price move.
FSOC
Abbreviation for the Financial Stability Oversight Council, the U.S. interagency body that monitors systemic financial risk.
Insider
A person with access to material non-public information about a company, including directors, officers, and large shareholders.
Investment Advisers Act
The federal law that requires investment advisers managing assets above certain thresholds to register with the SEC and comply with fiduciary standards.
Investment Company Act
The U.S. law that regulates mutual funds, ETFs, and other pooled investment vehicles.
ISIN
A 12-character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies securities in international markets, standardizing cross-border trading.
KYC
The regulatory process requiring financial institutions to verify the identity and assess the risk profile of their customers.
Banking Leverage Ratio
A regulatory requirement measuring a bank's Tier 1 capital as a percentage of its total exposure, ensuring minimum equity buffers.
Market Manipulation
Intentional distortion of a security's price or volume through deceptive practices such as spoofing or pump-and-dump schemes.
MNPI
Significant, undisclosed company information that would affect the stock price if made public.
MiFID II
The EU's Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, governing investment services, transparency, and investor protection across European markets.
MSRB
The self-regulatory organization that writes rules governing broker-dealers and municipal advisors who participate in the US municipal securities market.
National Market System
The SEC-mandated framework that links U.S. equity exchanges and trading venues to ensure investors receive the best available price.
NFA
The self-regulatory organization overseeing the U.S. futures and derivatives industry, operating under CFTC oversight.
No-Action Letter
An SEC staff response stating that no enforcement action will be recommended if a party proceeds with a described transaction or practice.
OCC
The primary federal regulator of national banks and federal savings associations in the United States, responsible for chartering, regulating, and supervising them.
OFAC
The U.S. Treasury office that administers and enforces economic sanctions programs against targeted countries, entities, and individuals.
Pattern Day Trader
A FINRA classification for traders who execute four or more day trades within five business days in a margin account.
PCAOB
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, which sets and enforces auditing standards for firms auditing US public companies.
Prospectus
A formal document filed with the SEC that provides details about an investment offering to potential investors.
Proxy Statement
An SEC-required disclosure document distributed to shareholders before a company's annual meeting to inform voting decisions.
QIB
An institutional investor with over $100 million in securities, eligible to purchase restricted private placements under SEC Rule 144A.
Qualified Purchaser
A high-net-worth individual or institution with at least $5 million in investments that is eligible to invest in private funds exempt from the Investment Company Act.
Quiet Period
A restricted period before or after an IPO during which company insiders and underwriters are limited in what they may publicly say about the company or its securities.
Reg ATS
The SEC regulation governing alternative trading systems including ECNs and dark pools.
Reg BI
An SEC rule that requires broker-dealers to act in the best interest of retail customers when recommending securities transactions or investment strategies.
Reg D
An SEC rule providing exemptions from securities registration, enabling private capital raises from accredited investors.
Reg FD
An SEC rule that prohibits public companies from selectively disclosing material nonpublic information to certain investors without simultaneously disclosing it to the general public.
Reg NMS
The SEC's framework governing US equity market structure, requiring best-price execution across all national exchanges.
Regulation A+
An SEC exemption allowing companies to raise up to $75 million from the general public through a streamlined public offering process, sometimes called a mini-IPO.
Reg CF
An SEC exemption that allows startups and small businesses to raise up to $5 million per year from the general public through SEC-registered online funding portals.
Regulation E
The Federal Reserve regulation implementing the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, which protects consumers in electronic banking transactions.
Regulation Z
The Federal Reserve rule implementing the Truth in Lending Act, requiring lenders to clearly disclose the full cost of credit to consumers.
Regulatory Capital
The minimum amount of capital banks must hold under Basel III rules to absorb losses and protect depositors and the financial system.
Restricted Securities
Unregistered securities acquired in private transactions that cannot be freely resold without SEC registration or a valid exemption.
Rule 10b-5
The SEC rule prohibiting fraud, misrepresentation, and deceptive practices in securities transactions.
Rule 144
An SEC safe harbor rule that establishes the conditions under which holders of restricted or control securities may sell those shares in the public market.
Rule 144A
An SEC rule allowing qualified institutional buyers to trade privately placed securities without registration.
Safe Harbor
A legal provision protecting a party from liability when they have acted in good faith and met specified conditions.
Sarbanes-Oxley
A 2002 US federal law requiring enhanced financial disclosures, internal controls, and auditor independence for public companies.
Schedule 13D
An SEC filing required when any investor acquires more than 5% of a public company's shares, disclosing their identity and intentions.
SEC Enforcement
The SEC's Division of Enforcement investigates and prosecutes violations of federal securities laws including fraud, insider trading, and disclosure failures.
SEC
The U.S. federal agency responsible for regulating securities markets, enforcing securities laws, and protecting investors.
Securities Act
The foundational US law requiring disclosure of material information in connection with securities offerings.
Exchange Act
The foundational U.S. law governing secondary securities markets and establishing the SEC.
Securities Fraud
The use of deception, false statements, or market manipulation to mislead investors in violation of federal securities laws.
SIPC
A federally mandated, industry-funded nonprofit that protects customers of failed US broker-dealers by recovering cash and securities up to $500,000 per account.
Stress Test
A simulation used by regulators to assess whether banks have sufficient capital to withstand severe economic scenarios.
Tier 1 Capital
A bank's core equity capital—common stock and retained earnings—used as the primary measure of financial strength under Basel III.
Tier 2 Capital
Supplementary bank capital—including subordinated debt and loan loss reserves—that acts as a secondary loss-absorbing buffer below Tier 1.
Too Big to Fail
The concept that certain financial institutions are so large and interconnected that their failure would trigger systemic economic damage.
Volcker Rule
A Dodd-Frank provision prohibiting banks from proprietary trading and limiting their investments in hedge funds and private equity.
Whistleblower
An individual who reports suspected legal violations to authorities, with SEC whistleblowers eligible for financial awards.