CRD stands for Central Registration Depository, which is a database maintained by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) since 2007 for all firms and individuals involved in the U.S. securities industry. The CRD program supports the licensing and registration filing requirements of the U.S. securities industry and its regulators. It covers the registration records of broker-dealer firms, branch offices, and their associated individuals, including their qualification, employment, and disclosure histories. The CRD program also directs the processing of form filings, fingerprint submissions, collection and disbursement of registration-related fees, qualification exams, and continuing education sessions.

The CRD program is designed to increase the transparency and availability of data related to firms and individual investors in the financial asset management space, giving people greater access to important information related to their brokers and dealers and encouraging financial professionals to act with honesty and integrity. The general public can review information about investment professionals with the registration information collected through the CRD program and is disclosable via FINRAs investor protection tool, BrokerCheck.

In summary, CRD is a database that maintains the registration records of broker-dealer firms, branch offices, and their associated individuals in the U.S. securities industry. It is administered by FINRA and supports the licensing and registration filing requirements of the U.S. securities industry and its regulators. The CRD program is designed to increase transparency and availability of data related to firms and individual investors in the financial asset management space.