The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is an organization authorized by the United States government to regulate and provide dispute resolution services to securities firms and investors. When an investor wants to resolve a complaint it has with its financial advisor or brokerage firm the investor can initiate a FINRA arbitration proceeding by filing a FINRA claim, which includes a Statement of Claim and a FINRA Submission Agreement. If the claim proceeds to the hearing stage, an arbitrator or panel of arbitrators will settle the dispute based on the merits of the claim as well as evidence presented by all parties. The final decision in a FINRA arbitration hearing is binding, and thereafter, parties are barred from pursuing the same claims through the court system.