The Securities and Exchange Commission released a new strategic plan Thursday for fiscal years 2018 through 2022 that includes bringing clarity to the standards of conduct governing investment professionals, modernizing investor disclosures and reviewing outdated rules, as well as examining regulated firms' cyber and other system and infrastructure risks.
The securities regulator's three-pronged plan sets out goals the agency plans to implement concerning investors, innovation and performance.
"During my first year as SEC chairman, I have enjoyed engaging with my 4,500 colleagues and various market participants, including our Main Street investors, to get their perspectives on how well the agency is performing, where we can do better, and what challenges we need to tackle, all with an eye toward ensuring that we are effectively pursuing our mission," SEC Chairman Jay Clayton said in releasing the plan. "These conversations are extremely valuable and I want them to continue."
These discussions, Clayton continued, "combined with input from Congress, our fellow regulators, and others who focus on our performance, have substantially informed" the strategic plan, which he said "provides a forward-looking framework for making the SEC even more effective, focusing on the most important goals and initiatives that will best position the SEC to fulfill our mission."
Included among the agency's performance goals is expanding the use of risk and data analytics to inform the commission's regulatory priorities and focus staff resources, "including developing a data management program that treats data as an SEC-wide resource with appropriate data protections, enabling rigorous analysis at reduced cost."
