What is a major responsibility of FINRA?

The major responsibility of FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) is to oversee the brokerage industry, ensuring that firms and their registered representatives adhere to rules and regulations that protect investors. One key function of this organization is the regulation of securities firms and the protection of investor interests, which includes the management of customer accounts.

While FINRA does play a role in overseeing activities related to the liquidation of brokerage firms, such as ensuring that customer assets are dealt with according to legal requirements, it does not provide insurance for customer accounts itself. Instead, the protection comes from the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which insures customer accounts in cases of broker-dealer insolvency. This aspect reinforces FINRA's role in investor protection during the firm liquidation process.

The other options refer to functions typically outside of FINRA’s purview. Regulating life insurance products falls under the jurisdiction of state insurance regulators rather than FINRA. The oversight of investment advisor practices is primarily managed by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and state regulators, while the administration of retirement accounts involves entities like the IRS and plan sponsors rather than a specific regulatory body like FINRA. Thus, the answer focusing on customer accounts during brokerage firm liquidation aligns with FINRA’s responsibilities in Investor protection