US securities and commodities statutes set maximum penalties in tiers keyed to the seriousness of the violation and whether it caused substantial losses. The tiers are inflation-adjusted periodically, so comparing penalty sizes across decades needs care.
law and enforcement · updated 2026-09-08
See also
Civil monetary penalty— A civil monetary penalty is a punitive fine imposed by a regulator or court, distinct from disgorgement of gains. Statutory tiers …