SEC Restructuring Has Led To More Enforcement

The SEC's 2010 restructuring of its Enforcement Division has resulted in the agency taking on more complex cases with a new level of expertise. 

The SEC has hired specialists, including highly educated analysts who understand quantitative and high-frequency trading to assist the SEC with its enforcement investigations.  The experts act in both the SEC's enforcement and examination functions, and have assisted the SEC in not only in developing new cases but also providing insight into existing, very complicated investigations over many areas.

However, resources have been tightened at the SEC.   In 2002, the agency could devote 25 examiners to each $1 trillion in assets under management; today, that figure has shrunk to 10 examiners for about every $1 trillion in assets.