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Gary Gensler

SEC Chair Gensler Issues Statement on Request for Comment on “Information Providers”

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Today [June 15], the Commission voted to issue a request for comment to help determine which “information providers,” such as index providers, model portfolio providers, and pricing services, might come under the Commission’s definition of an investment adviser. The role of these information providers in today’s markets raises important questions under the securities laws as to if they are providing investment advice rather than merely information. I am pleased to support this request because it will help inform our consideration of when—and under what facts and circumstances—these providers are giving “investment advice.”

In recent decades, the use of information providers

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SEC Chair Gensler Speaks Before Investor Advisory Committee

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Good morning. It is great to join the Investor Advisory Committee (IAC) today. As is customary, I’d like to note that my views are my own, and I’m not speaking on behalf of the Commission or Securities and Exchange Commission staff.

I would like to welcome the new members of this Committee. The eight of you bring a wide-ranging set of experiences to this group, coming from government, academia, funds, non-profits, and the U.S. Navy. Thank you for volunteering your time and energy on behalf of investors.

Today’s meeting marks a year since I first had the opportunity to meet

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SEC Chair Gensler Speaks on Plans to Overhaul Stock Trading

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Thank you, Rich (Repetto), for that kind introduction. It is good to be with you again. As is customary, I’d like to note my views are my own, and I’m not speaking on behalf of my fellow Commissioners or the SEC staff.

Rich, at last year’s conference, you and I spoke about how technology has transformed and continues to transform our equity.[1]

This has led to some good things. For example, retail investors have greater access to markets than any time in the past.

This technological transformation, though, also has led to challenges, including market segmentation, concentration, and potential

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SEC Chair Gensler on ESG Disclosures Proposal

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Today [May 25], the Commission is considering a proposal to improve disclosures by certain investment advisers and funds that purport to take Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into consideration when making investing decisions. I am pleased to support this proposal because, if adopted, it would establish disclosure requirements for funds and advisers that market themselves as having an ESG focus.

It is important that investors have consistent and comparable disclosures about asset managers’ ESG strategies so they can understand what data underlies funds’ claims and choose the right investments for them.

When I think about this topic, I’m reminded

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SEC Chair Gensler Testifies Before U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee

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Good morning, Chairman Quigley, Ranking Member Womack, and members of the Subcommittee. I’m honored to appear before you for the second time as Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is good to be here alongside Federal Trade Commission Chair Khan. As is customary, I’d like to note that my views are my own, and I am not speaking on behalf of my fellow Commissioners or the SEC staff.

The Gold Standard of Capital Markets

I’d like to open by discussing two key years in economic policymaking: 1933 and 1934.

We were in the midst of the Great Depression.

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SEC Chair Gensler Talks Security-Based Swaps Market to ISDA

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Thank you for the kind introduction. It’s good to be back with the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) again.

As is customary, I’d like to note that I’m not speaking on behalf of my fellow Commissioners or the SEC staff.

Swaps emerged in the 1980s to provide producers and merchants with a way to lock in the price of commodities, interest rates, and currency rates. Our economy benefits from a well-functioning swaps market, as it’s essential that companies have the ability to manage their risks.

When I first appeared before this group, as Chair of the Commodity Futures Trading

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SEC Chair Gensler Speaks at Conference on Financial Market Regulation

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The field of economic research is central to our work at the SEC. It helps shape every aspect of our policymaking, from the early design phase to the proposing releases to the consideration of public comments to the adopting releases. It helps us determine the size of fines for enforcement actions. It provides important context for every one of our meetings. I look forward to hearing more about the presentations from today’s conference.

As is customary, I’d like to note that my views are my own, and I’m not speaking on behalf of the Commission or SEC staff.

I want

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SEC Chair Gensler Speaks on U.S. Bond Market

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Thank you. It’s good to be with City Week again. As is customary, I’d like to note that my views are my own, and I am not speaking on behalf of the Commission or SEC staff.

Since we are in London (at least virtually), I wanted to note that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the first James Bond film. I know there are various commemorations of this storied franchise going on in the U.K., but I want to focus my remarks on the lead character’s name.

Bond. James Bond.

Ian Fleming, the author of the spy novels,

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SEC Chair Gensler Speaks Further on Climate-Risk Disclosure Proposal

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Thank you. It’s good to be with Ceres for today’s investor briefing. As is customary, I’d like to note that my views are my own, and I’m not speaking on behalf of the Commission or SEC staff.

As you all likely know by now, in March, the Commission voted on a proposal to mandate climate-risk disclosures by public companies.

A Long Tradition

Let me put the proposal into the context of our long tradition of disclosures.

The core bargain from the 1930s is that investors get to decide which risks to take, as long as public companies provide full and

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SEC Chair Gensler Talks Registration of Security-Based Swap Execution Facilities

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Today [April 6], the Commission is considering a proposal to create a framework for the registration of security-based swap execution facilities (security-based SEFs). I am pleased to support this proposal because, if adopted, it would increase the transparency and integrity of the traditionally opaque over-the-counter security-based swap market, fulfilling a mandate under the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 to register and regulate the platforms that trade these instruments.

The 2008 financial crisis had many chapters, but a form of security-based swaps — credit default swaps — played a lead role throughout the story. Thus, as part of the Dodd-Frank Act, Congress

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SEC Chair Gensler Speaks on Crypto Markets

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Thank you. It’s great to be with you all at this event, particularly as the University of Pennsylvania is my alma mater. I was over at Wharton, and what I knew of the law school is that the library stacks were a great place to study. It was so quiet there, though I don’t know if that’s still the case.

As is customary, I’d like to note that my views are my own, and I’m not speaking on behalf of the Commission or SEC staff.

Today, you’ve invited me to talk about the roughly $2 trillion crypto markets.

In February,

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SEC Chair Gensler on SPACs, Shell Companies, and Projections Proposal

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Today [March 30], the Commission is considering a proposal to strengthen investor protections in special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). I am pleased to support this proposal because, if adopted, it would strengthen disclosure, marketing standards, and gatekeeper and issuer obligations by market participants in SPACs, helping ensure that investors in these vehicles get protections similar to those when investing in traditional initial public offerings (IPOs).

Aristotle captured an overarching principle with his famous maxim: Treat like cases alike.[1]

SPACs present an alternative method to go public from traditional IPOs. I don’t just mean the first stage — when the

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SEC Chair Gensler Speaks on Removal of Credit-Ratings References from Reg M

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Today [March 24], the Commission voted to propose removing references of credit ratings from Rules 101 and 102 of Regulation M (Reg M). I was pleased to support today’s proposal because, if adopted, it would fulfill a mandate issued by Congress in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

In Section 939A of the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, Congress directed federal agencies, including the SEC, “to remove any reference to or requirement of reliance on credit ratings” from our rules and to substitute an appropriate standard for credit-worthiness.[1]

The SEC has completed much of this work, and the only

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SEC Chair Gensler on Proposed Mandatory Climate Risk Disclosures

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Today [March 21], the Commission is considering a proposal to mandate climate-risk disclosures by public companies. I am pleased to support today’s proposal because, if adopted, it would provide investors with consistent, comparable, and decision-useful information for making their investment decisions and would provide consistent and clear reporting obligations for issuers.

Over the generations, the SEC has stepped in when there’s significant need for the disclosure of information relevant to investors’ decisions. Our core bargain from the 1930s is that investors get to decide which risks to take, as long as public companies provide full and fair disclosure and are

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SEC Chairman Gensler Speaks Before the Investor Advisory Committee

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It’s good to be back with the Investor Advisory Committee (IAC) again. As is customary, I’d like to note that my views are my own, and I’m not speaking on behalf of the Commission or SEC staff.

I’d like to acknowledge the departure of Committee members J.W. Verret and Paul Mahoney. J.W. has served as the Assistant Secretary and Chair of the Market Structure Subcommittee. Paul has served in a number of roles, including IAC Chair during a transitionary period. Both have been active, engaged members of the Committee. Thank you for volunteering your time to make important contributions to

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SEC Chairman Gensler Speaks on Proposal for Mandatory Cybersecurity Disclosures

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Today [March 9], the Commission is considering a proposal to mandate cybersecurity disclosures by public companies. I am pleased to support this proposal because, if adopted, it would strengthen investors’ ability to evaluate public companies’ cybersecurity practices and incident reporting.

We’ve been requiring disclosure of important information from companies since the Great Depression. The basic bargain is this: Investors get to decide what risks they wish to take. Companies that are raising money from the public have an obligation to share information with investors on a regular basis.

Over the years, our disclosure regime has evolved to reflect evolving risks

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SEC Chair Gensler Speaks on Private Fund Advisers Proposal

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Today [February 9], the Commission is considering rules and amendments under the Investment Advisers Act to improve the efficiency, competition, and transparency of the activities of private funds’ advisers. I support this proposal because, if adopted, it would help investors in private funds on the one hand, and companies raising capital from these funds on the other.

Why do private funds matter?

First, they matter because they’re large, and they’re growing in size, complexity, and number. These funds, including hedge funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds, and liquidity funds, currently have approximately $18 trillion in gross assets.

Beyond their

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SEC Chair Gensler Speaks to FSOC on Money Market Funds, Open-End Bond Funds, and Hedge Funds

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Thank you, Secretary Yellen, for focusing the Council’s attention on financial resiliency with regard to three key parts of our capital markets — particularly money market funds, open-end bond funds, and hedge funds.

The fund industry gives retail and institutional investors the opportunity to pool their assets, get investment advice, and attain diversification and efficiency. These pools of assets have become a significant part of our markets. There’s $5 trillion in money market funds, nearly $7 trillion in open-end bond funds, and $9 trillion in gross assets under management in hedge funds.

The nature, scale, and interconnectedness of these fund

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SEC Chair Gensler Speaks on Rules Covering Government Securities Alternative Trading Systems

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Today [January 26], the Commission is considering amendments to include significant Treasury markets platforms within Regulation ATS. I support these amendments because, if adopted, they would help promote resiliency and greater access in the Treasury market. We’re also considering modernizing our rules related to the definition of an exchange. Over the decades since Congress put in place the definition of an exchange, there have been many changes to platforms — in particular, that they are increasingly electronified. I think it’s important that we revise the SEC’s rules to reflect those changes.

In 2020, the Commission put out a request for

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SEC Chair Gensler Speaks on Cybersecurity and Securities Laws

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Thank you. It’s good to be with the Annual Securities Regulation Institute. As is customary, I’d like to note that my remarks are my own, and I’m not speaking on behalf of the Commission or SEC staff.

As some of you may know, I often like to talk about the founding of our nation’s securities laws in the 1930s.

So again, today, I’d like to discuss the ‘30s — but this time, I actually mean the 1830s.

In 1834, exactly a century before the SEC was established, the Blanc brothers in Bordeaux, France, committed the world’s first hack. The

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