This amendment builds on FINRA’s recent willingness to relax the prohibition on the use of projections and targeted returns in the marketing materials broker-dealers deliver to institutional investors and qualified...more
2/29/2024
/ Affiliates ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Comment Period ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Institutional Investors ,
Internal Rate of Return (IRR) ,
Investment Company Act of 1940 ,
Investment Funds ,
Offering Statements ,
Past Performance ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Private Offerings ,
Private Placements ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulation Best Interest ,
Retail Investors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On January 23, 2024, FINRA announced the addition of new Supplementary Material .18 to FINRA Rule 3110 (Supervision) to adopt a voluntary, three-year remote inspections pilot program (Pilot Program) to allow eligible members...more
On January 9, 2024, FINRA published its 2024 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report (the “Report”). FINRA publishes the Report as a way to provide its broker-dealer members with insight into findings from FINRA’s Member...more
1/26/2024
/ Annual Reports ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cybersecurity ,
Electronic Communications ,
Financial Crimes ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Form CRS ,
Regulation BI ,
Regulation SHO ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
FINRA has offered a gift to member firms and fund managers just in time for the holiday season — but like a new puppy, the gift comes with a lot of responsibility. FINRA filed a proposed rule change to amend FINRA Rule 2210...more
The proposal would codify for the first time the federal-level best execution standard for brokers and related obligations. New Regulation Best Execution would result in a pivot from what has been a principles-based approach...more
The risk alert highlights deficiencies the staff identified during examinations and provides examples of weak practices observed at firms. EXAMS staff intends for the alert to assist broker-dealers in reviewing and enhancing...more
The SEC Division of Examinations recently published a Risk Alert on quarterly reports required under Exchange Act Rule 606, which are published by broker-dealers to provide customers with insight into factors influencing...more
12/13/2022
/ Best Execution ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Information Reports ,
Public Comment ,
Public Meetings ,
Quarterly Report ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Alert ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act
FINRA, Nasdaq, and NYSE published separate notices to alert their members about recent observations related to initial public offerings (IPOs) for certain small capitalization (small-cap) issuers listed on US stock exchanges...more
12/6/2022
/ Broker-Dealer ,
China ,
Compliance ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Fraud Alerts ,
Hong Kong ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Market Participants ,
Nasdaq ,
NYSE ,
Pump and Dump ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Underwriting
FINRA recently published Regulatory Notice 22-23, providing guidance regarding firm and representative succession planning, including relevant FINRA rules and administrative processes and questions firms can consider when...more
The SEC recently adopted new recordkeeping requirements for broker-dealers and “SBS entities” (security-based swap dealers and major security based swap participants). Most notably, the SEC will no longer require...more
FINRA recently hosted a conference call with its smaller members covering Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS compliance. FINRA’s resounding message was that there is “no one-size-fits all” approach to Reg. BI...more
10/13/2022
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Compliance ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Form CRS ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Management ,
Regulation Best Interest ,
Regulation BI ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
This article focuses on how the new Rule 206(4)-1 (the “Marketing Rule”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”) affects the relationships between investment advisers registered with the U.S. Securities...more
10/4/2022
/ Advertising ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Compliance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Endorsements ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Marketing ,
New Rules ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Private Funds ,
Registered Investment Advisors ,
Risk Alert ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Testimonial Statements
SEC staff recently served up a juicy staff bulletin covering the standards of conduct for broker-dealer and investment adviser conflicts of interest. The staff bulletin includes 13 Q&As categorized into five different...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently charged a broker-dealer and five of its registered representatives with violating Regulation Best Interest (“Reg. BI”) related to recommendations and sales of an unrated,...more
On May 4, 2022, FINRA announced that it had fined two FINRA-registered funding portals a combined $1.75 million for failing to comply with securities laws and rules designed to protect crowdfunding investors. Funding portals...more
5/12/2022
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Crowdfunding ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Fines ,
Funding Portal ,
Internal Controls ,
JOBS Act ,
Regulation CF ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities Exchange Act
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission staff recently published a bulletin reiterating the standards of conduct applicable to broker-dealers and investment advisers when making account recommendations to retail investors....more
4/15/2022
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
IRA Rollovers ,
Regulation Best Interest ,
Retail Investors ,
Retirement Plan ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Standard of Conduct
This is the first in a series of alerts discussing topics covered by FINRA in its 2022 Examination and Risk Monitoring Program Report (the “Report”). Here we take a look at Regulation Best Interest (“Reg. BI”) and Form CRS,...more
2/25/2022
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Filing Requirements ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Form CRS ,
Investment Adviser ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Regulation Best Interest ,
Retail Investors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Training
FINRA Rules 2165 (Financial Exploitation of Specified Adults) and parts of 4512 (Customer Account Information) became effective on February 5, 2018 and implemented a framework to permit broker-dealers to place a temporary...more
On November 18, 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposed new Rule 10c-1, which, if adopted, would create a new reporting and disclosure framework for the securities lending market. Rule 10c-1 would require...more
On November 18, 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) proposed amendments to Rules 17a-4 and 18a-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 related to recordkeeping requirements for broker-dealers and...more
On December 17, 2021, the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a statement regarding Form CRS disclosures required of SEC-registered broker-dealers and investment advisers who offer services to retail...more
Persons registered with a broker-dealer historically have had two years from their Form U5 filing date to re-register with another firm before their prior qualifications (examinations) would lapse. This two-year window often...more
FINRA recently amended its rules in order to strengthen its tools to respond to brokers with a significant history of misconduct and the firms that employ them. The amended rules include FINRA’s Disciplinary Proceedings...more
Christmas came early for many in the digital asset community by way of a statement from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC” or “Commission”) on December 23, 2020 that grants relief in the area of broker...more
12/28/2020
/ Blockchain ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Custody ,
Customer Protection Rule ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Securities ,
Investment Management ,
Popular ,
Public Comment ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On October 7, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) voted 3-2 to propose a conditional exemption (“Exemption”) to permit natural persons to engage in limited securities activities as “finders” on behalf of...more
10/12/2020
/ Accredited Investors ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Capital Raising ,
Comment Period ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Exemptions ,
Finders ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investors ,
Private Offerings ,
Public Comment ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Regulation ,
Securities Transactions ,
Unregistered Brokers