First Quarter Personal Securities Transaction Reports

With the end of first quarter 2008, RIA Compliance Consultants would like to remind SEC registered investment advisors of their requirement to collect or prepare updated personal securities transaction reports from all access persons. The information on the reports must reflect transactions that took place during first quarter of 2008 and must officially be reported to the firm no later than 30 days after the end of the quarter. Therefore, all reports must have been collected by April 30. As part of the SEC Code of Ethics rule, all SEC registered investment advisor firms are required to review the activity of their access persons' securities holdings at the end of every calendar quarter. The quarterly reports and documented review/approval of each report must be retained as part of a registered investment advisor firm's official books and records.

It is important for investment advisor firms to not only collect these reports, but to also establish a system of reviewing and documenting the reviews of all reports. In particular, the review of personal securities transactions should attempt to detect instances or patterns when the interests of the firm or its access persons are placed ahead of the interests of clients. Depending on your firm's specific procedures, reviews may focus on restricted lists, black-out periods, and other conditions placed on access persons trading activities.

If your firm has questions or concerns about your firm's requirements to monitor and review personal securities transactions, please give us a call to find out how we can develop a customized suite of compliance services designed specifically for your firm.

Labels: Compliance Program, Enforcement, PST