As the regulators continue to investigate the Wall Street developments and actions that might have been at the root of the 2008 financial meltdown, the Securities and Exchange Commission is questioning the biggest American financial institutions to draw information on their use of a particular accounting device.

The SEC's request, which has been made in letters that have been sent out to the Chief Financial Officers of over a dozen large financial companies and insurance firms, has come after revelations that Lehman Brothers utilized the "so-called" Repo 105 accounting device to try and hide the billions of Dollars in debt right before its completely collapsed in September of 2008.

Lawmakers and regulators now want to know if the same type of accounting gimmick was widely used all across Wall Street.

On Monday, the SEC revealed that it has sent out letters to various chiefs, looking for information on the firms' use of repurchase agreements, their accounting for the same and their disclosure.

The companies, however, have not been named yet.

The SEC's investigation of the Lehman Brothers collapse "has taken us down a path where we're looking broadly", SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro said.