The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent federal agency and the primary federal securities regulator of the U.S. government. Established through the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in response to the 1929 Wall Street crash, the SEC’s mission is to regulate the securities markets, protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation. It enforces federal securities laws to prevent market manipulation, fraud, and other abuses, administering key legislation including the Securities Act of 1933, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

The SEC has broad authority over securities offerings, trading, asset management, investment advisory services, stock and options exchanges, and electronic securities markets. It is organized into several divisions that support its mission: the Division of Corporation Finance reviews issuer filings and disclosures; the Division of Enforcement investigates and prosecutes violations, bringing civil charges or coordinating with the Department of Justice for criminal cases; the Division of Examinations conducts onsite reviews of market participants such as broker-dealers and investment advisers; the Division of Investment Management regulates investment companies and advisers; the Division of Trading and Markets oversees market infrastructure to ensure efficiency; and the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis provides research, economic analysis, and data analytics support. Additional offices include the Office of International Affairs for global regulatory cooperation, the Office of Information Technology for IT infrastructure, and the Office of the Inspector General for internal oversight.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the SEC operates with approximately 1,001–5,000 employees across its headquarters and 11 regional offices. It also serves as an adviser in corporate reorganization proceedings and holds responsibilities under international agreements such as the Bretton Woods Agreements Act. The agency actively promotes public education through resources like Investor.gov, issues alerts on scams, and enforces actions against misconduct to deter violations and uphold market integrity.