National Futures Association (NFA) is a self-regulatory organization established in 1982 to oversee futures and options market participants. It is located in Chicago, Illinois and funded in part by assessment fees paid by its more than 10,000 members. The NFA works to maintain public trust and confidence in the futures and options markets through a number of different initiatives, ranging from investor protection to monitoring and disciplining member firms, independent contractors, and other individuals.

The NFA is subject to annual oversight by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), a government agency that monitors commodities markets in the United States. The CFTC has the authority to approve or disapprove the rules and regulations proposed by the NFA and enforces them if approved.

NFA regulations are designed to promote customer protection and market integrity. These include procedures for verifying client accounts, steps to ensure a customer’s funds are held safely in a segregated account, and requiring members to properly supervise their employees. The NFA also requires members to report certain information about customer trading activities to the CFTC.

In addition to enforcing its regulations, the NFA also provides a range of services to its members, including education and training. It maintains a database of market participants, offering both a Disclosure Document Database for individuals, and an Authorized Person Database for firms. The NFA also operates a website to provide members with current information on rule changes, enforcement cases and proposals, and sponsors services to help members conduct business, such as the Test Lab, which allows firms to test new software before they roll it out to customers.

The NFA takes a zero-tolerance approach to fraud, manipulation, and insider trading. It seeks to prevent these illegal activities by pursuing them aggressively and imposing severe financial and disciplinary penalties on violators. NFA also works with regulators in other countries and with organizations like the International Swaps and Derivatives Association to ensure that rules and regulations are followed everywhere in the world. Finally, the NFA strives to build trust between market participants and public customers by putting a focus on market transparency and providing timely and accurate information about market trends.