Category: FINRA Rule Changes

cryptocurrency | FINRA Rule Changes | Mutual Fund Regulation | Privacy

OCIE Lists Privacy Blunders; SEC Explains When Digital Assets become Securities; Ohio Mandates IARs and RR to Report Elder Abuse; FINRA Gives Broker an “F” in Email Review; and Google Searches Don’t Count as Due Diligence

| by Jaqueline Hummel, Partner and Managing Director

Reg S-P Compliance Violations Spelled out by SEC: OCIE reviewed two years of deficiency letters and came up with a list of the most common Regulation S-P compliance issues.  The…

12b-1 Fees | 529 plans | cryptocurrency | Custody | FINRA Rule Changes | Mutual Fund Regulation | Private Funds | Regulatory Deadlines | SEC News | SEC Rule changes

SEC Asks for Help Understanding Digital Assets and Custody Rule, FINRA Issues FAQs on 529 Self-Reporting Request, New Testing for Swap Traders and 79 Firms Settle with SEC in Share Class Initiative

| by Jaqueline Hummel, Partner and Managing Director

IA Watch Webinar on Real-Life Lessons on BCPs with Jill Grenda, Managing Director at Hardin Compliance Consulting:  Don’t miss IA Watch’s FREE webinar, Real-Life Lessons Learned from Peers Who’ve Had…

Advertising and Marketing | Conflicts of Interest | cybersecurity | FINRA Rule Changes | GIPS | Private Funds | Regulatory Deadlines | SEC Rule changes

FINRA Warns Firms to Finalize Forms U4 and U5 Today! SEC Withdraws Proxy Voting Letters, GIPS Proposes Changes, and SEC Targets Advisers for Misleading Investors, Advertising Missteps, and Violations of Reg. S-ID: Regulatory Update for October 2018

| by Jaqueline Hummel, Partner and Managing Director

SEC withdraws Prior Guidance on Proxy Voting Firm Independence.  The SEC’s Division of Investment Management issued an Information Update officially withdrawing two no-action letters on proxy voting issued back in…

Best Execution | Conflicts of Interest | FINRA Examinations | FINRA Rule Changes | NFA | Trading Away | Virtual Currency | Wrap Accounts

FINRA Updates Registration Rules, NFA Writes Disclosures for Virtual Currencies and SEC Stays Busy with Actions against RIAs: Regulatory Update for September 2018

| by Jaqueline Hummel, Partner and Managing Director

SEC Goes Ahead with Administrative Proceedings:   With little fanfare, the SEC issued an order to terminate its previous stay on pending administrative proceedings before its Administrative Law Judges (“ALJ”) on…

CFTC | Conflicts of Interest | Custody | DOL Fiduciary Rule | FINRA Rule Changes | Hedge Funds | ICO | Municipal Advisors | Mutual Funds | Private Funds | SEC News

SEC Hits Pause Button for ALJs; Updates on Custody Rule; SEC Director Discusses What Makes Cryptocurrency a Security; Mutual Funds Allowed to Save Trees: Regulatory Update for July 2018

| by Jaqueline Hummel, Partner and Managing Director

SEC Stops All In-House Cases after Defeat in Supreme Court:   The SEC enforcement division suffered a blow when the U.S. Supreme Court held that the process for hiring SEC’s administrative…

Best Execution | Conflicts of Interest | DOL Fiduciary Rule | FINRA Rule Changes | ICO | Mutual Fund Distribution | Regulatory Deadlines

SEC Answers Questions on Share Class Initiative, Creates Mock ICO; DOL Agrees to Continue Non-Enforcement Policy, and FINRA Helps BDs with Tips on Heightened Supervision: Regulatory Update June 2018

| by Jaqueline Hummel, Partner and Managing Director

SEC issues FAQs on Share Class Disclosure Initiative:  I meant what I said and I said what I meant:  Back on February 12, 2018, the SEC Division of Enforcement announced…

12b-1 Fees | FINRA Rule Changes | Form ADV Disclosure | Mutual Funds | SEC Examinations | SEC News

SEC Offers Amnesty, Outreach and Exam Priorities, FinCEN CDD Deadline Looms and FINRA Posts FAQs on Exploitation of Seniors: Regulatory Update March 2018

| by Jaqueline Hummel, Partner and Managing Director

SEC Enforcement Division Offers “Favorable Settlement Terms” to Advisers that Self-Report Failure to Disclose Receipt of Rule 12b-1 Fees: In a rare move, the SEC is offering to forego fines…