Though not empowered with the same legislative authority that the SEC can claim, FINRA sets standards for stockbrokers and other financial industry professionals, and licenses individuals as well as oversees certain aspects of operations with regulatory eye (Little 2010; FINRA 2010). Illegal trading or suspicious trading can lead to investigations by FINRA that can then lead directly to legal problems for companies found to be in violation of laws and ethics guidelines, meaning that the securities issued by Holiday Inn could eventually face direct regulation by this body, and that the trading of Holiday Inn securities -- like other securities traded in the United States -- is always at least indirectly influenced by the standards and regulations established by FINRA (Little 2010; FINRA 2010). Holiday Inn does not issue securities that are markedly different from any other company, and thus the stock...

Agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority serve to protect the public from unfair and/or dishonest practices, making business more successful for all.
References

FINRA. (2010). Financial industry regulatory authority official website. Accessed 10 August 2010. http://stocks.about.com/od/tradingbasics/a/Regulat011705.htm

IHG. (2010). Investor relations. Accessed 10 August 2010. http://www.ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=3

Little, K. (2010). "Who's watching your back in the stock market?" Accessed 10 August 2010. http://stocks.about.com/od/tradingbasics/a/Regulat011705.htm

SEC. (2010). "The laws that govern the securities industry." Accessed 10 August 2010. http://stocks.about.com/od/tradingbasics/a/Regulat011705.htm