On October 7, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) released a Notice of Proposed Exemptive Order (“Notice”) that would create a conditional exemption from the broker registration requirements for...more
On August 12, 2020, the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations issued a risk alert related to COVID-19 compliance risks (“Risk Alert”). The Risk Alert applies to both investment advisers and broker-dealers and...more
On July 10th, the SEC proposed amendments to Exchange Act Rule 13f-1 that would raise the Form 13F reporting threshold from $100 million to $3.5 billion. If effected, this would be the first change to the reporting threshold...more
While the financial industry was busy enjoying family vacations and a relaxing break for the July 4th holiday, the SEC stayed busy releasing new guidance for industry participants. For example, OCIE recently released a risk...more
On April 15, 2020, the Investor Protection Bureau of the New York Department of Law (a division of the attorney general’s office) (the “Bureau”) published proposed amendments to regulations governing state-registered...more
In April and May 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) entered a series of settled Orders assessing fines, instituting a bar, and ordering remedial action against registered investment advisers...more
On April 7, 2020, the SEC's Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations ("OCIE") issued two risk alerts regarding the expected scope and content of initial examinations for compliance with Form CRS and Regulation Best...more
UPDATED: MAY 12, 2020: Yesterday, Iowa adopted its proposed regulation requiring annuity agents to act in the best interest of consumers, but delayed adoption (or revision, withdrawal) of the companion securities rules. The...more
Section 17(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “40 Act”) prohibits certain transactions between an investment company and their affiliated persons, including transactions where an affiliated person...more
On February 21, 2020, the Massachusetts Securities Division (the “MSD”) announced the finalization of its fiduciary rule. Part I summarized the evolution of Massachusetts Fiduciary Rule (“Fiduciary Rule”) and the...more
On February 21, 2020, the Massachusetts Securities Division (the “Securities Division”) announced the finalization of its Fiduciary Rule.
This Part I summarizes the evolution of the Massachusetts Fiduciary Rule and the...more
In 2016, the SEC voted to create a comprehensive, consolidated audit trail (“CAT”) designed to allow regulators to efficiently and accurately track activity throughout the U.S. markets in National Market System (“NMS”)...more
Last Friday, the staff of the SEC Division of Investment Management (the “Staff”) released an FAQ on disclosures of conflicts related to investment adviser compensation (the “FAQ”). The FAQ specifically focused on...more
The SEC recently adopted a final rule (the “ETF Rule”) designed to modernize the registration of exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”). Since 1992, an ETF coming to market has required an exemptive relief order from the SEC to...more
The political melee surrounding Regulation Best Interest (“Reg BI”) escalated yesterday with the filing of a lawsuit against the SEC by several state attorneys general (the “State Plaintiffs”). In their complaint, the State...more
Last week, the SEC issued guidance with respect to the proxy voting responsibilities of investment advisers (the “Proxy Guidance”). The Proxy Guidance follows on the heels of the SEC’s interpretation of the fiduciary duties...more
Last December, the SEC unanimously approved a two-year pilot program (the “Transaction Fee Pilot”) intended to assess alternatives to the predominant pricing model used by national securities exchanges (the “Maker-Taker...more
On July 8th, Morningstar announced changes to two forward-looking ratings systems that it uses to rate managed investments (e.g., mutual funds). One of the affected ratings systems is the Morningstar Analyst Rating, which...more
To mark the one-year anniversary of the passage of The Senior Safe Act (the “Act”), the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the North American Securities Administrators Association (“NASAA”), and the Financial...more
On June 18th, the SEC issued a concept release (the “Concept Release”) seeking public comment on ways to simplify, harmonize, and improve the rules related to private securities offerings. The Concept Release contains several...more
Regulations regarding privacy, cybersecurity and the use of technology seem to be in constant flux. Compliance consultants and vendors do their best to stay on top of them, but ultimately neither are regulated by the SEC,...more
5/30/2019
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On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “National Senior Investor Initiative Act of 2019” (H.R. 1876) (the “Act”), which directs the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to establish a taskforce...more
On Monday, April 15, the New Jersey Bureau of Securities (“NJBS”) released its long-awaited proposed fiduciary rule (the “Proposed Rule”) for broker-dealers (“BDs”) and investment advisers (“IAs”).1 Key points from the Rule...more
As just about everyone who operates in the mutual fund, closed-end fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) industries knows, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), requires certain key registered...more
New Jersey released its long-awaited proposed fiduciary rule (the “Fiduciary Rule”) for broker-dealers and investment advisers. The 60-day comment period for the Fiduciary Rule began today, and will end on June 14, 2019....more