What is the primary role of the SEC?

The primary role of the SEC, or Securities and Exchange Commission, is to protect investors and maintain market integrity. This involves enforcing laws that govern the securities industry, ensuring that investors receive essential information about securities being offered for public sale, and promoting fair and efficient markets. The SEC works to prevent fraud and manipulative practices in securities markets, thereby bolstering public trust in the financial system. It also regulates securities exchanges, brokers, and dealers, which contributes to a stable trading environment for all market participants.

The other options involve functions that are not under the SEC’s purview. Assisting companies in issuing shares is a part of maintaining market integrity but is not the SEC's primary role. Facilitating the trading of commodities is outside of the SEC's jurisdiction; that responsibility typically falls to other regulatory bodies, such as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Managing national fiscal policies is a function related to government agencies dealing with economic and budgetary matters, such as the Department of the Treasury, which is also not related to the SEC's responsibilities.