RIA Compliance and Practice Management Blog

Each Friday, we are giving you our weekly report highlighting the top compliance news articles from various industry news publications. We have selected the most relevant and important news articles related to registered investment adviser (RIA) compliance and regulatory issues. This week's recap focuses on how firms can meet the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) electronic books and record-keeping regulation, a new database which tracks and reports adviser misconduct data, the SEC’s policy agenda for 2023, how advisers need to market in the changing financial landscape and the North American Securities Administrators Association’s (NASAA) plans to push lawmakers to act against bad actors.

Here are our top investment adviser compliance articles for the week of Jan. 6, 2022:

In 2022, RIA in a Box provided our audience with registered investment adviser (RIA) operation, RIA technology and RIA compliance blogs which covered topics like Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed rules and risk alerts, investment adviser representative (IAR) continuing education (CE) requirements, types of audits and more. In this blog, we’ll recap the highlights from the past year, providing you with our top ten RIA blogs from 2022.

The annual review is a tried-and-true practice for any registered investment adviser (RIA). And guess what? It’s that time of year again. While there is not set schedule for when your RIA firm must conduct its annual review, many firms use this time (December to March) to do such annual review activities, including reviewing their policies and procedures and conducting the annual review meeting with all firm employees.

To help ensure a smooth 2023 annual compliance review, we’ve gathered the top 10 dos and don’ts to remember as your RIA seeks to comply with relevant regulations, be it state or Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mandated.

Every registered investment adviser (RIA) registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is required to create and regularly update their policies and procedures manual in order to comply with the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (Advisers Act).

As a rule of thumb, your firm should be reviewing your policies and procedures manual at least once a year, however, more frequent reviews can be extremely helpful during times of increased regulatory change. Why? Regular reviews can help the Chief Compliance Office (CCO) and other key team members prevent or detect potential violations, especially when new rules are enacted or regulations change.

Here’s a look at how you and your team can best create and update your RIA firm’s policies and procedures for 2023.

Each Friday, we are giving you our weekly report highlighting the top compliance news articles from various industry news publications. We have selected the most relevant and important news articles related to registered investment adviser (RIA) compliance and regulatory issues. This week's recap focuses on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) proposed rule about outsourcing and independent contractors, the various opinions surrounding the proposal, and how investment options can change in light of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) recently proposed rule concerning environmental, social and governance (ESG).

Here are our top investment adviser compliance articles for the week of Dec. 30, 2022:

As an investment adviser, the rapid-fire pace of news and updates is enough to keep you up at night. Recently, experts from RIA in a Box and InvestorCOM sat down to discuss the emerging challenges in the industry, specifically highlighting the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) and the Department of Labor’s (DOL) focus on Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI). This greater focus from regulators means investment firms have to give greater attention to doing their due diligence in the interest of their clients. What can you do to comply with the increased regulatory pressure? Let’s dive in.

In 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sought fines and damages totaling over $6.4 billion for regulatory failings. In response, the commission released multiple risk alerts advising registered investment advisers (RIA) on common deficiencies and notices of examination. In this blog, we’ll recap the top SEC risk alerts from 2022 to help your firm prepare for potential examination focus areas in 2023.

Each Friday, we are giving you our weekly report highlighting the top compliance news articles from various industry news publications. We have selected the most relevant and important news articles related to registered investment adviser (RIA) compliance and regulatory issues. This week's recap focuses on cybersecurity and data risk points, anticipation for SECURE 2.0, a study on billing methodologies, discretionary management of IRAs and comments on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed outsourcing regulations.

Here are our top investment adviser compliance articles for the week of Dec. 23, 2022:

A new year can be a busy time for financial advisers – and although the end-of-year rush is in the rearview mirror, tax season is right around the corner. Yet, there are some priorities which just can’t wait, including compliance.

Compliance errors can be costly to your firm and damaging to your reputation. To ensure you avoid deficiencies or even lofty fines, you must take a proactive approach to your compliance practices. To that end, we’ve assembled our top 10 compliance best practices your registered investment adviser (RIA) firm can use in the new year (and beyond) to improve your compliance – let’s dive in.

The relationship between a registered investment adviser (RIA) and its client is built on trust. A large part of which involves the management and protection of an investor’s sensitive and personal information. In the past, this was done using locked file cabinets, ID badges and security cameras. But in today’s fast-moving digital world, an entirely new (and invisible) threat has emerged: cyber attacks. In fact, the average weekly number of attacks per organization worldwide reached over 1,130 in Q3 of 2022.

To provide continued data protection to investors, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has emphasized the importance of cybersecurity policies and procedures for financial firms and institutions. Here is a quick look at ongoing regulatory proposals, as well as what you can do to keep your firm compliant and protected.