Last week, U.S. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Spencer Bachus (R – AL), decided to at least temporarily put the Investment Adviser Oversight Act of 2012 (“Investment Adviser Oversight Act”) on hold. This decision came on the heels of Representative Maxine Waters’ (D – CA) introduction of the Investment Adviser Examination Improvement Act of 2012 (“Investment Adviser Examination Improvement Act”).
Category Archives: FINRA
Illinois Becomes Third State to Pass Privacy Law Conflicting with SEC Social Media Compliance Regulations for Investment Advisers
August 01, 2012
Today Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a new law that makes it unlawful for employers to request passwords to social media accounts or from demanding access to social media accounts from potential and current employees. Illinois became the third state to pass such legislation after Maryland and Delaware recently adopted similar laws in May and July. After signing the law Governor Quinn said, “Members of the workforce should not be punished for information their employers don’t legally have the right to have. As use of social media continues to expand, this new law will protect workers and their right to personal privacy.”
States Passing Privacy Laws that Conflict with FINRA and SEC Social Media Compliance Regulations
July 17, 2012
Keeping up on the new rules and regulations regarding social media use can be a difficult task for investment advisers and broker-dealers. Recently, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) have each issued alerts and notices to investment advisers and broker-dealers offering guidance on social media use. The SEC issued an alert in January of this year and FINRA has issued Regulatory Notice 10-06 and Regulatory Notice 11-39; these alerts and notices generally require investment advisers and broker/dealers to monitor and archive any business communications their employees have with clients. Now, many states and even the federal government have bills under consideration that would limit employers’ access to its employees’ social media accounts. If these laws are passed they could make it even more difficult for investment advisers and broker-dealers to keep adequate records and ensure compliance with the social media rules and regulations.
New Suitability Rule for Broker-Dealers is Similar to Fiduciary Duty of Investment Advisers
July 16, 2012
There has been a lot of discussion over the last year on the different standards for broker-dealers and investment advisers. Under current regulatory requirements, broker-dealers do not have a fiduciary duty to their clients. Broker-dealers must abide by the anti-fraud provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and must follow rules instituted by exchanges they are members of and the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). Investment advisers are largely governed by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Investment Advisers Act”), rules promulgated under the Investment Advisers Act, and state laws. Pursuant to the Investment Advisers Act, investment advisers have a fiduciary duty to their clients. Having a fiduciary duty to clients means that by regulation investment advisers are held to a higher standard than the standard that applies to broker-dealers. A study conducted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in 2011 found that the average investor did not understand the difference between a broker-dealer and an investment adviser.
The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) recently released a statement on the potential negative effects of H.R. 4624, the Investment Adviser Oversight Act of 2012, (Investment Adviser Oversight Act). NAPFA says this bill will “allow the foxes to run the henhouse.” NAPFA is alluding to the belief that if the bill is passed and a self-regulatory organization (SRO) is created for investment advisers, it will be the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
The new ERISA 408(b)(2) regulations, which were recently issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”), place disclosure requirements on “service providers” to ERISA covered plans. Specifically, a covered service provider is required to disclose in writing the services to be provided, the service provider’s fiduciary status to the Plan, and a description of all direct and indirect compensation received in connection with services provided to the Plan. Service providers must provide these disclosure requirement to plan fiduciaries in order for a contract for plan services to be “reasonable” as required by ERISA section 408(b)(2).
H.R. 4624, the Investment Adviser Oversight Act of 2012, (“Investment Adviser Oversight Act”) proposes creating a self-regulatory organization (“SRO”) for investment advisers. Currently, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has primary oversight of federally registered investment advisers and state securities regulators have primary oversight of state-registered investment advisers. As a result of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”), state securities regulators have begun serving as the primary regulator for investment advisers with up to $100 million of assets under management. Those investment advisers with more than $100 million are regulated primarily by the SEC. The Investment Adviser Oversight Act, if passed, creates an SRO for all investment advisers to report to, including those at the state level. H.R. 4624 as it stands now would also require state securities regulators to report to an investment adviser SRO annually to make sure that the states are meeting standards.
Highlights from the Financial Services Committee’s Hearing on the SRO Bill for Investment Advisers
June 06, 2012
This morning the Committee on Financial Services of the U.S. House of Representatives (“Financial Services Committee”) held a hearing on the Investment Adviser Oversight Act of 2012 (“Investment Adviser Oversight Act”). The Investment Adviser Oversight Act proposes the creation of a self-regulatory organization (“SRO”) for investment advisers. The panel of witnesses for the hearing consisted of representatives from the Financial Services Institute (“FSI”), the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (“NAIFA”), the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (“SIFMA”), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), and the Investment Adviser Association (“IAA”).
GAO Report Finds SEC Oversight of FIRA Lacking & Critics Use Report Against FINRA as Potential Investment Adviser SRO
June 05, 2012
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) recently released a report on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) oversight of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The report examined “how the SEC conducted oversight of FINRA and how it plans to enhance oversight in the future.”
