The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently provided guidance on the disclosure obligations of an investment adviser firm when receiving a Paycheck Protection Plan (“PPP”) loan guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration in conjunction with the relief afforded from the CARES Act during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
2019 Investment Adviser Compliance Conference Just One Week Away!
September 05, 2019
You only have one week to register for our 2019 Investment Adviser Compliance Conference. There is still time for you to choose to either join us and fellow investment adviser compliance professionals in Omaha, NE on Sept. 11 and 12 or watch our LiveStream broadcast of Day 2 of the conference (Sept. 12) from the comfort of your desk.
Join RIA Compliance Consultants on Wednesday, September 11 and Thursday, September 12 at the Scott Conference Center in Omaha, NE. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from industry experts, engage with like-minded peers, and connect with the top leaders in the industry all in the name of the best interest of your clients. Need more convincing?
Annual Renewals of Investment Advisers is Quickly Approaching
November 02, 2018
Now is the time for each registered investment adviser to begin preparations for IARD renewals for the investment adviser firm and its investment adviser representatives. Registered investment advisers must make sure that they always remain properly registered. If you are an SEC registered investment adviser, you must make sure that your investment adviser is notice filed in all required states. If you are a state registered investment adviser, you must make sure your investment adviser is properly registered in all required states. Generally, registration or notice filing is required at the firm level if an investment adviser has a place of business in the state or if it exceeds the state’s de minimus exemption. However, investment advisers must review each state’s notice filing or registration requirements prior to conducting business in a state. Investment adviser representative licensing is always handled at the state level. Investment adviser firms must review and determine that all investment adviser representatives are properly licensed prior to conducting business in a state.
SEC Settles Charges of Undisclosed Conflict in Advisory Decision
September 06, 2018
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently announced that it has settled charges with an investment adviser firm. The SEC alleged that the investment adviser failed to disclose a conflict of interest. The settlement ended in payment of $8.9 million to the SEC by the investment adviser.
On April 12, 2018, the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”) of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) released a Risk Alert, “Overview of the Most Frequent Advisory Fee and Expense Compliance Issues Identified in Examinations of Investment Advisers.” The risk alert provides a list of compliance issues frequently identified in OCIE examination deficiency letters relating to fees and expenses charged by SEC registered investment advisers. Click here to read the SEC’s Risk Alert.
Protecting Senior Investors
February 06, 2018
On Jan. 24, 2018 the United States House of Representatives passed the Senior Safe Act. The Senior Safe Act (referred to as “the Act,” formerly H.R. 3758) encourages financial services firms to train employees to spot elder abuse, while granting limited immunity to individuals at financial institutions who report such abuse to law enforcement or regulators in accordance with the Act.
NASAA Investment Adviser Coordinated Examinations Report
January 24, 2018
In September 2017, The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) released its 2017 Investment Adviser Coordinated Examinations Report. NASAA’s report looked at 1,227 routine investment adviser examinations of state registered investment advisers. Once again, the area with the most deficiencies was books and records. Almost two out of every three investment advisers examined (64.6%) reported a deficiency in books and records retention.
SEC Fines Investment Adviser for Failure to Disclose Material Conflicts of Interest to Clients
June 20, 2017
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently obtained final judgments by consent against an investment adviser firm and its chief executive officer, who allegedly failed to disclose material conflicts of interest to some of the firm’s clients. The investment adviser firm and its chief executive officer consented to the decree without admitting or denying the allegations in the SEC’s complaint.
DoL Fiduciary Rule Delayed 60 Days
April 07, 2017
Today, the Department of Labor (DoL) published a rule delay for the fiduciary rule, delaying its applicability date by 60 days. The initial applicability date of the fiduciary rule was April 10, 2017. The 60 day delay moves the applicability date to June 9, 2017. This action also extends (for 60 days) the applicability dates of the Best Interest Contract Exemption and the Class Exemption for Principal Transactions in Certain Assets Between Investment Advice Fiduciaries and Employee Benefit Plans and IRAs.
