Rule 10b5-1

Rule 10b5-1, established by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2000, allows insiders of publicly traded corporations to set up a trading plan for selling stocks they own. It is a clarification of Rule 10b-5 (sometimes written as Rule 10b5), created under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, which is the primary vehicle for investigation of securities fraud. Rule 10b5-1 allows major holders to sell a predetermined number of shares at a predetermined time. Many corporate executives use 10b5-1 plans to avoid accusations of insider trading.