On Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 12:00 PM CST, RIA Compliance Consultants will present a live compliance training webinar about the Compliance Risks of Using Wrap-Fee Program. During this webinar our Senior Compliance Consultants will discuss the Division of Examinations (the “Division”) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Wrap-Fee Risk Alert about its assessment of investment adviser firms associated with wrap fee programs.
Category Archives: Wrap Fee
SEC Risk Alert – Wrap Fee Programs
July 26, 2021
SEC Risk Alert on Use of Wrap Fee Accounts by Investment Advisers
On July 21, 2021, the Division of Examinations (the “Division”) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) released a Risk Alert about its assessment of investment adviser firms associated with wrap fee programs.
The SEC identified multiple areas where the investment advisers examined were deficient in their policies, procedures, and practices related to wrap fee programs, and further noted a range of industry practices that investment advisers might consider adopting to meet their fiduciary duty when recommending and managing wrap fee programs.
SEC Enforcement Action Against an Investment Adviser Over Limiting Wrap to NTF Funds
August 31, 2020
On July 28, 2020, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filed an order instituting an enforcement action/administrative cease-and-desist proceeding against an SEC registered investment adviser firm for allegedly failing to disclose material conflicts of interest related to its mutual fund share class selection practices, receipt of revenue sharing, avoidance of transaction fees, receipt of compensation pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“12b-1 fees”), and failure to seek best execution.
SEC Focuses On Wrap Fee Disclosures and “Trade Away” Costs
September 13, 2016
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently fined two investment adviser firms nearly $1 million for alleged failures related to wrap account fee disclosures. As the name implies, a wrap account “wraps” brokerage fees and account management fees together; a customer will generally pay a single fee to the investment adviser, as agreed upon in advance, regardless of how many (or how few) brokerage transactions are placed on the customer’s behalf so long as the trades are placed with the sponsoring broker. For customers with a pattern of active trading, a wrap account can be a cost effective choice. The benefits disappear at an increasing rate, however, each time the customer’s trades are directed to a non-sponsoring broker whose fees are billed in addition to the normal wrap fee.
