The purpose of the Securities Act of 1933 is to regulate the initial offering of a firm's securities by ensuring that investors are given full and fair disclosure of all pertinent information about the firm. The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 was passed to regulate the trading of securities on secondary markets and to eliminate abuses in the trading of securities after their initial distribution. To accomplish these objectives, the 1934 act created the SEC. Under its auspices, public companies must not only register their securities but also periodically prepare and file Forms 8-K, 10-K, and 10-Q.

Required
a. With regard to Form 8-K, discuss (1) The report's purpose.
(2) The report's timing.
(3) The report's format.
(4) The role of financial statements in filing the report.
b. Identify five circumstances under which the SEC requires the filing of Form 8-K.