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Regulation and Compliance > Federal Regulation > FINRA

FINRA Posts $218M Loss for 2022

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The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority on Friday reported a $218.1 million net loss for 2022, compared with the $218.8 million profit the regulator reported for 2021.

The 2022 net loss was “driven by” investment and operating losses of $166.9 million and $60.2 million, respectively, Robert W. Cook, FINRA CEO and president, and Todd T. Diganci, its chief financial and administrative officer, said in the report.

FINRA’s reserve portfolio lost 6.4% last year. Although “negative for the year, our portfolio performance was favorable relative to the double-digit declines in the global equity and U.S. investment grade bond markets,” the executives said in their annual message.

The $60.2 million operating loss, compared with a $112 million operating profit in 2021, “reflected lower revenues and an increase in operating expenses, offset by higher interest and dividend income,” according to the report.

Revenue, meanwhile, dipped to $1.34 billion last year from $1.4 billion in 2021. The decline was “due to a decrease in the number of public offerings and lower Trading Activity Fees,” the executives said.

FINRA’s increased operating expenses last year were “driven in part by investments in staff and technology to strengthen our capabilities to fulfill long-standing regulatory responsibilities, address more recent expansions in the scope of our duties, and meet new challenges in the markets,” they said. “The increased costs also reflect steps we took to manage evolving workforce conditions, including wage inflation and competitive labor markets.”

But the 2022 operating loss was “expected, and was in line with our multi-year strategic plan that we outlined in 2020,” the executives said. “As part of that plan and consistent with our Financial Guiding Principles, in 2022 we intentionally drew down our reserve portfolio to reduce the overall level of our reserves and to allow for fee increases to be phased in over a reasonable period of time.”

Cook’s 2023 salary increased to $1.1 million from $1 million in 2022 but his overall compensation dropped to $3.3 million from $3.7 million. Similarly, Diganci’s salary increased to $685,000 from $650,000 but his total compensation fell to $1.5 million from $1.8 million.

Meanwhile, FINRA imposed $54.5 million in 2022, compared with $103 million in 2021, when it smacked Robinhood with a $57 million fine plus $12.6 million in restitution, the regulator’s biggest penalty ever.

Of the 2022 fine money, $26.2 million was used for restitution to harmed investors, according to FINRA. It expelled seven firms and suspended 328 brokers, while 227 brokers were barred. The 2022 fine amount included disgorgement awards of $6.4 million.

Moving on to diversity initiatives, FINRA said that, as of Dec. 31, nearly 50% of employees were members of at least one of the regulator’s 10 Employee Resource Groups, and ERG events had a combined attendance of more than 12,000 participants at over 100 events.

Sign outside a FINRA building in Rockville, Maryland. Photo: FINRA


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