The Fed’s goals with respect to supervision and regulation include promoting the safety and soundness of the banking system, fostering stability in financial markets, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and encouraging banking institutions to responsibly meet the financial needs of their communities. The Fed supervises and regulates financial holding companies, bank holding companies, and member state banks.

The impetus for securities credit regulation in the United States dates back to the stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression. At the time, some believed that margin lending helped fuel excessive speculation in the stock market, which contributed to the severity of the market crash.

If you think your financial institution has been unfair or deceptive in its dealings with you or has violated a law or regulation, as a consumer you have the right to file a complaint. Your financial institution's primary regulator can help individual consumers by investigating complaints about specific financial institutions under its regulatory jurisdiction.

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