Steps for SEC to regulate crowdfunding

Two months ago, President Barack Obama signed the JOBS Act into law, making equity-based crowdfunding legal for businesses that want to raise capital in smaller amounts than traditional venture capitalists or accredited investors supply.

Depending on who you ask, crowdfunding is either going to democratize access to capital and serve as a boon to small businesses across America, or it will be rife with con artists intent on bilking seniors out of their hard-earned savings.

Let's hope the former is true. But concerns about fraud must be addressed so the emerging market can thrive without being spoiled by fraud and scams.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is currently writing rules that will govern crowdfunding and, it's hoped, guarantee its success. To properly regulate crowdfunding without suffocating it at inception, the regulators at the SEC must strike the right balance between guarding against fraud and allowing the marketplace to work its will.

Here are five actions the SEC should take to help crowdfunding flourish: