News & Events – Compliance and Regulatory Alerts

The SEC Division of Examinations has just released its 2022 examination priorities report, focusing on Private Funds, ESG Investing, Standards of Conduct (including Regulation Best Interest, Fiduciary Duty, and Form CRS), Information Security and Operational Resiliency, and Emerging Technologies and Crypto-Assets. Stay tuned for our annual commentary, coming soon.

FINRA has proposed amendments to the Code of Arbitration Procedure to accelerate certain case processing deadlines for seriously ill or elderly parties. Under the proposed rule, parties to the proceeding must request the expedited deadlines.

In a press release touting twelve additional enforcement actions against firms for failing to provide complete information on, file, or deliver Form CRS to retail investors, the SEC announced settlements against six investment advisers and six broker-dealers. That message underscores the agency’s intention to hold firms accountable for making these disclosures. Read our Alert for details on the SEC's findings, the settlements, and what they could mean for your firm and clients.

FINRA has announced the publication of the 2022 Report on FINRA's Examination and Risk Monitoring Program. Stay tuned for our annual commentary, coming soon, on FINRA’s 2022 objectives and how they may impact your legal, regulatory and compliance matters.

This month, the SEC Division of Examinations issued two alerts based on staff findings from recent examination initiatives. The first concerned advisers that offer automated digital investment services to their clients. The initiative was based on increases in the number of advisers operating, recommending or sponsoring discretionary robo-investment services. The targeted examination revealed widespread disclosure and supervisory deficiencies in these services. The second risk alert was a follow-up to previously issued guidance on fee-related deficiencies, compliance and disclosure issues. This new alert is based on a national exam initiative focusing on the calculation of advisory fees charged to retail clients and the adequacy of fee disclosures.

In a tally of enforcement actions taken in Fiscal Year 2021 (which ended September 30th), the SEC reported that its efforts “spanned the entire securities waterfront” to address emerging threats. The agency touted many “first-of-their kind enforcement actions” and “record-breaking achievements.” Among the emerging areas of prosecutorial interest, the SEC highlighted enforcement actions involving crypto, decentralized finance, SPACs, the “dark web,” Form CRS compliance, and unregistered electronic trading. The agency also highlighted (and linked to) “impactful” prosecutions against a host of entities.

In a Field Assistance Bulletin issued on October 25, 2021, the Department of Labor extended relief through Jan. 31, 2022 on a Prohibited Transaction Exemption (“PTE”), titled "Improving Investment Advice for Workers and Retirees.” The exemption is offered to registered investment advisers, broker dealers, financial institutions, and insurance companies that “provide fiduciary investment advice to Retirement Investors.”

On October 8, 2021, FINRA urged member firms to review and update their Anti-Money Laundering compliance programs in light of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s recently published priorities on the subject. FinCEN came out with those priorities on June 30, 2021, in accordance with AML Act of 2020, which became law on January 1, 2021.

New FINRA rules for protecting investors from brokers with a significant history of misconduct went into effect on September 1, 2021. The new rules, adopted on March 10, 2021, broaden authority to discipline associated persons, impose stricter supervision on firms, and mandate greater disclosure in various proceedings.

On August 10, 2021, FINRA issued a targeted examination letter alerting firms that the regulator was conducting a review of all activities related to options accounts. In the new examination letter, FINRA requests information on account supervision, communications, and diligence from January 1, 2021, through August 10, 2021 (the date of the letter). Though the due date for the information has not yet been published, firms should begin working to formulate their responses immediately.

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced in a statement yeterday that “21 investment advisers and 6 broker-dealers have agreed to settle charges that they failed to timely file and deliver their client or customer relationship summaries – known as Form CRS – to their retail investors."

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) today issued the first government-wide priorities for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) policy.

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Gurbir S. Grewal has been appointed Director of the Division of Enforcement, effective July 26, 2021.

On April 9, 2021, FINRA issued guidance reminding members of their obligations on customer options accounts. The new alert flows from a reported increase in the opening of self-directed brokerage accounts and a broader risk of whether broker dealers and investment advisers are collecting information and performing adequate due diligence to ensure that options trading is appropriate for their customers. Additionally FINRA highlights compliance obligations on supervision, anti-money laundering and margin for customers seeking to trade options. In this Alert, Bates takes a look at the recently published guidance and what you need to know to stay in compliance.

The SEC’s new marketing and advertising rule will impose considerable oversight, recordkeeping and disclosure requirements affecting “100 percent” of investment advisers when it goes into effect May 4, 2021. The SEC Division of Investment Management staff have made clear that until an adviser chooses to comply fully with the new rule, they must continue to comply with the previous advertising and cash solicitation rules and related staff positions on them. In this Alert, Bates Compliance takes a look at the recently published FAQ on the new marketing and advertising rule and what you need to know to successfully comply with it.

The SEC Division of Examinations announced its 2021 examination priorities today, focusing on climate-related risks, conflicts of interest for brokers (Regulation Best Interest) and investment advisers (fiduciary duty), and attendant risks relating to FinTech in its initiatives and examinations. Stay tuned for our annual commentary, coming soon.