Events

CFMR - Events - Mayo Center

Conference on Financial Market Regulation

The Conference on Financial Market Regulation (CFMR) began accepting paper submissions in 2013, with its inaugural conference held in spring 2014. The two-day event is co-hosted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Economic and Risk Analysis, the Lehigh University Center for Financial Services, and the University of Virginia Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management.

Now in its thirteenth year, the conference has grown in prominence and selectivity. Held each May, it has become a premier forum for research in financial economics, capital markets, and financial regulation, with an acceptance rate of approximately 3 percent. The program consistently features opening, keynote, and closing remarks from SEC leadership, fostering direct, meaningful dialogue between leading researchers and policymakers.

The conference's long-term impact is reflected in its scholarly influence: approximately 40 percent of presented papers are subsequently published in top-tier journals such as the Journal of Finance, the American Economic Review, and the Review of Financial Studies, and are cited in influential outlets, including The Economist.

📢 13th Annual Conference on Financial Market Regulation (CFMR 2026) 

REGISTRATION IS OPEN

📅 Conference Dates:

  • Thursday, May 7, 2026 (Afternoon)
  • Friday, May 8, 2026 (Full Day)

📍 Location: SEC Headquarters, 100 F St NE, Washington, DC 20002

Conference Details: The SEC Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA), Lehigh University’s Center for Financial Services (CFS), and the University of Virginia’s Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management (Mayo Center) are pleased to host the 13th Annual Conference on Financial Market Regulation (CFMR 2026). The conference aims to foster an exchange of views between participants from academia, government, industry, and the SEC on topics relevant to the Commission. 

📌 Conference Program: View Sessions

📝 Registration:

  • Register Here - Registration is open from March 1 – May 1, 2026 
  • Conference room block available at Yotel Washington, DC (Reservation deadline: April 6, 2026)

Conference Organizers:

  • Kathleen Weiss Hanley (Lehigh University)
  • Amy Edwards (SEC)
  • Vlad Ivanov (SEC)
  • Ian Appel (University of Virginia)
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