This past October the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a proposed amendment to the definition of investment advice fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code (Code). Investment advice fiduciaries must generally avoid engaging in certain prohibited transactions absent an exemption. In connection…
Last week the Securities and Exchange Commission issued Proposed Amendments to the “internet adviser” basis for SEC registration found in Rule 203 A-2 (e). Currently, the rule provides that an adviser who provides investment advice nearly exclusively via an interactive website is eligible to register with the SEC, as long…
The DOL recently dismissed its appeal of an earlier ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida (the Court) invalidating part of the DOL’s guidance regarding application of its fiduciary duty to rollover recommendations. The guidance was in the form of an FAQ issued in connection…
PTE 2020-02 is a prohibited transaction exemption under ERISA. It requires Financial Institutions, including RIAs, to meet several enumerated requirements, including adhering to the “Impartial Conduct Standards,” in order to rely upon the exemption with respect to certain transactions, including rollover recommendations. It also requires Financial Institutions to adopt policies…
The SEC’s Division of Examinations recently released their Observations from Examinations of Newly-Registered Advisers. Issued as a Risk Alert, the release provides guidance for what investment advisers new to SEC registration should expect, but also warns were previously examined advisers failed to meet the SEC’s expectations. The SEC typically initiates…
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently released the 2023 Examination Priorities from the Division of Examinations, formerly known as the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations. This annual release provides insight into the areas that the SEC plans to highlight when examining investment advisers during the coming year. Over…
On August 26, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued an order settling charges against Kovak Advisors, Inc. (“Kovak”), for compliance failures related to its wrap fee program. The case highlights how important it is for an investment adviser to adopt and follow policies and procedures relating to…
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced a settled enforcement action against a registered investment adviser for violating the Custody Rule and for compliance violations associated with custody. The enforcement action, coupled with the SEC’s announcement, shows the significance that the SEC places on the safeguarding of client assets. An investment…
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced a series of enforcement actions centered on several of the largest broker-dealers in the financial sector. The enforcement actions addressed longstanding failures of the firms and their employees to preserve certain electronic communications. The 15 broker-dealers, and one affiliated investment adviser, admitted…
While it comes with little surprise, on Monday the SEC’s Division of Examinations officially announced the areas of focus regarding compliance with the New Marketing Rule. The recently released Risk Alert was expected as the compliance date for the New Marketing Rule is quickly approaching. Initially introduced in December 22,…