The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) issued a National Exam Program Risk Alert on December 14, 2018 concerning the use of electronic messaging by registered...more
1/25/2019
/ Books & Records ,
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) ,
Commercial Electronic Messages ,
Compliance ,
Data Security ,
Electronic Communications ,
Employee Training ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
OCIE ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Risk Alert ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Supervision ,
Third-Party
In connection with the public roundtable on the proxy voting process (Roundtable) held by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 15, 2018, the staff of the SEC’s Division of Investment Management (IM...more
12/19/2018
/ Conflicts of Interest ,
Corporate Governance ,
Due Diligence ,
Glass Lewis ,
Influencers ,
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
No-Action Letters ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Proxy Advisory Firms ,
Proxy Voting ,
Proxy Voting Guidelines ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Roundtable ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Withdrawal
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations issued a National Exam Program Risk Alert on July 11, 2018. The Risk Alert highlights OCIE’s observations of compliance issues...more
8/3/2018
/ Best Execution ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Compliance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Form ADV ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
OCIE ,
Risk Alert ,
SEC Examination Priorities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 18, 2018 published a package of proposed rules and interpretations intended to improve the retail investor experience and to provide greater clarity regarding customers’...more
7/11/2018
/ Best Interest Standard ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Comment Period ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Products ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Retail Investors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Standard of Care
On April 18, 2018, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 4-1 to propose a package of rules and interpretations (Proposals) intended to improve the retail investor experience and to provide greater clarity...more
4/20/2018
/ 401k ,
Best Interest Standard ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Comment Period ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
EDGAR ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Form ADV ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Retail Investors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Standard of Care
The U.S. federal securities laws and the rules of U.S. self regulatory organizations (such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) impose certain reporting and compliance obligations on investment advisers and funds....more
1/24/2018
/ Beneficial Owner ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CFTC ,
Commodities ,
Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs) ,
Compliance ,
CPO ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Derivatives ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Equity Securities ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Filing Requirements ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Foreign Investment ,
Form 13F ,
Form ADV ,
Form D Filing ,
Form PF ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Funds ,
Investors ,
NFA ,
Offerings ,
Private Funds ,
Private Placements ,
Registered Investment Advisors ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Schedule 13D ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Traders ,
Securities Violations ,
Self-Certification ,
Verification Requirements ,
Virtual Currency
The October 1, 2017 compliance date for the amendments to Form ADV and to rule 204-2 (Recordkeeping Rule), as well as technical amendments to other rules under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (Advisers Act) (collectively,...more
The staff of the Division of Investment Management (Staff) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released three related matters of guidance on February 21, 2017, which provide additional clarity to...more
The staff of the Division of Investment Management (Staff) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a Guidance Update (Guidance) on February 23, 2017, on the subject of automated investment advisers...more
3/15/2017
/ Compliance ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Division of Investment Management ,
Guidance Update ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Investment Companies ,
Investment Management ,
OCIE ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Registered Investment Advisors ,
Robo-Advisors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The U.S. federal securities laws and the rules of U.S. self-regulatory organizations (such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) impose certain reporting and compliance obligations on investment advisers and funds....more
2/21/2017
/ Accredited Investors ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CFTC ,
Compliance ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Equity Securities ,
Filing Requirements ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Form ADV ,
Form PF ,
Fund Managers ,
Hedge Funds ,
Investment Adviser ,
NFA ,
Private Funds ,
Private Placements ,
Registered Investment Advisors ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a National Exam Program Risk Alert on February 7, 2017 (Risk Alert), highlighting the “five compliance...more
Investment advisers registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may use a variety of business and organizational models, which may include structures with one or more branch offices. In announcing its...more
The staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) stated in August that it intends to permit the expiration of rule 206(3)-3T (Rule) under the Investment Adviser Act of 1940 (Advisers Act). The SEC originally...more
The Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a National Exam Program Risk Alert on October 24, 2016 (Risk Alert) regarding examinations of...more
10/28/2016
/ Amended Regulation ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Compliance ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Investment Adviser ,
OCIE ,
Risk Alert ,
SEC Examination Priorities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Securities Violations ,
Whistleblower Awards ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies
A settled enforcement action, announced by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on September 14, 2016, continues the trend of increased SEC scrutiny of private equity advisers concerning the allocation and...more
10/21/2016
/ Cease and Desist Orders ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Discounts ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Excessive Fees ,
Fund Expenses ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
OCIE ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Registered Investment Advisors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently adopted amendments to Form ADV and to Rule 204-2 (Recordkeeping Rule), as well as technical amendments to other rules under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940...more
9/16/2016
/ Chief Compliance Officers ,
Derivatives ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Final Rules ,
Form ADV ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
RAUM ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Required Forms ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
SMAs ,
Social Media ,
Special Purpose Entities ,
Umbrella Registration
Last week, Donald J. Trump, the Republican nominee for U.S. president, selected Governor Mike R. Pence of Indiana as his running mate for vice president. The selection of Governor Pence might have implications under the SEC’s...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 28, 2016, proposed new Rule 206(4)-4 (Proposed Rule) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (Advisers Act). The Proposed Rule would require every SEC-registered...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a final order (Order) on June 14, 2016, to adjust for inflation the “qualified client” thresholds applicable when a registered investment adviser charges a performance fee in...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 1, 2016 announced a settled enforcement action against a private equity fund manager (Adviser) for acting as a broker-dealer without registering. The case is...more
6/15/2016
/ Acquisitions ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Disgorgement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Mergers ,
Portfolio Companies ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Sanctions ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Exchange Act ,
Unregistered Brokers
A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) no-action letter issued on April 25, 2016 provides relief from the annual surprise audit requirement of the “Custody Rule” for a registered investment adviser (RIA)...more
Marc Wyatt, Director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE), indicated on November 20, 2015 that the OCIE staff is now examining “Exempt Reporting Advisers”...more
The New York City Council recently passed two amendments to the New York City Human Rights Law that are likely to substantially affect the manner in which firms in New York City may evaluate the qualifications and background...more
10/5/2015
/ Background Checks ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Brokers ,
Credit Checks ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Fair Chance Act ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Human Rights ,
Investment Adviser ,
Registered Investment Advisors ,
SCDEA ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
SRO
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on August 25, 2015,1 pertaining to all investment advisers registered or required to be registered...more
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC or Commission) issued a cease and desist order (Order) on June 23, 2015, against Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management Inc. (Adviser), an investment adviser registered under...more
8/6/2015
/ Asset Management ,
CCO ,
Cease and Desist Orders ,
Chief Compliance Officers ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Officers ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Ethics ,
Fraud ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
Investment Funds ,
Policy Violations ,
Portfolio Managers ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Shareholders ,
Tone At The Top