How FINRA Is Enhancing Member Firm Examinations

Examinations are a cornerstone of FINRA's regulatory oversight, but how we conduct them is evolving. As part of FINRA Forward, we're making our approach more risk-informed, more efficient, and more transparent. On this episode, J. Koutros, Senior Vice President of Member Supervision, Operations, Procedures, and Standards, Jim Reese, Senior Vice President of Examinations, and John Martino, Vice President of Examinations explore the changes reshaping FINRA's examination program: streamlined first firm exams for lower-risk firms, extended exam cycles where warranted, more targeted data requests, and advance notice about exam timing. The guests also look ahead to new technology, enhanced transparency around preliminary findings, and the ongoing feedback that drives FINRA’s continuous improvement. Resources mentioned in this episode: FINRA Examination and Risk Monitoring Programs Ep. 185: How FINRA is Streamlining Data Requests FINRA Forward: A Year of Progress FINRA Forward FINRA Quarterly Regulatory Policy Agenda Blog Post: FINRA Forward’s Rule Modernization—An Update Blog Post: Vendors, Intelligence Sharing and FINRA’s Mission Blog Post: FINRA Forward Initiatives to Support Members, Markets and the Investors They Serve Blog Post: A Progress Update on Rule Modernization Find us: LinkedIn / X / YouTube / Facebook / Instagram / E-mail

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How FINRA Is Enhancing Member Firm Examinations is an episode from FINRA Unscripted by FINRA.

This episode is 00:34:33 long.

This episode was published on May 5, 2026.

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