Investment advisers must be cautious when it comes to the statements and claims used in advertising and marketing materials and this does not just pertain to performance claims. Investment advisers must avoid all statements or claims that are unsubstantiated or that cannot be proven with material facts. Investment advisers registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) must ensure that all advertising and marketing material complies with Rule 206(4)-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Investment Advisers Act”). Many state investment adviser regulations follow similar regulatory guidelines as those outlined in Rule 206(4)-1. Under SEC Rule 206(4)-1(a)(5), investment advisers are expressly prohibited from publishing, circulating and distributing any advertisement, “which contains any untrue statement of a material fact, or which is otherwise false or misleading
Category Archives: SEC
H.R. 4624, the Investment Adviser Oversight Act of 2012, (“Investment Adviser Oversight Act”) proposes creating a self-regulatory organization (“SRO”) for investment advisers. Currently, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has primary oversight of federally registered investment advisers and state securities regulators have primary oversight of state-registered investment advisers. As a result of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”), state securities regulators have begun serving as the primary regulator for investment advisers with up to $100 million of assets under management. Those investment advisers with more than $100 million are regulated primarily by the SEC. The Investment Adviser Oversight Act, if passed, creates an SRO for all investment advisers to report to, including those at the state level. H.R. 4624 as it stands now would also require state securities regulators to report to an investment adviser SRO annually to make sure that the states are meeting standards.
GAO Report Finds SEC Oversight of FIRA Lacking & Critics Use Report Against FINRA as Potential Investment Adviser SRO
June 05, 2012
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) recently released a report on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) oversight of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). The report examined “how the SEC conducted oversight of FINRA and how it plans to enhance oversight in the future.”
With the deadline for “the Switch” approaching, investment advisors that are currently registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) should conduct one final calculation of their assets under management (“AUM”) to ensure that their investment advisor remains eligible for SEC registration.
Marketing materials can be very helpful in attracting business for an investment advisor, but investment advisors should be aware of the regulatory requirements that apply to the use of marketing materials. Common issues with investment advisory marketing materials include using marketing materials that include testimonials (which investment advisors are generally prohibited from using); publishing past recommendations (without following the restrictions and disclosure requirements for publishing past recommendations); using language that makes promises or guarantees; and making untrue or misleading statements.
Rep. Spencer Bachus, the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy have introduced a bill, the Investment Advisers Oversight Act of 2012, which would create a self-regulatory organization (“SRO”) for investment advisers.
Annual Delivery of Form ADV Part 2A and Privacy Policy
April 26, 2012
Under Rule 204-3 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) requires registered investment advisers (“investment adviser”) to deliver to each client, annually within 120 days after the end of the investment adviser’s fiscal year and without charge, if there are material changes to the investment adviser’s brochure since the investment adviser’s last annual updating amendment:
SEC Finalizes Performance Fee Rules
March 27, 2012
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently finalized revisions to Rule 205-3 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, raising the net worth requirements for individuals who are charged performance fees. As we discussed earlier, the SEC increased the threshold requirements for “qualified clients” to account for inflation.
By now, registered investment advisors affected by the changes to Rule 203A-5 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Rule 203A-5”), mid-sized investment advisor firms (firms with assets under management between $25 million and $100 million), should have begun the process of switching from registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to state registration. Mid-sized advisor firms making the switch must keep in mind that filing the Form ADV Part 1 amendment and submitting an application for registration with the appropriate state regulatory agencies is just the first step in the process of making the switch from SEC to state registration. A registered investment advisor must familiarize itself with the regulatory requirements of the SEC or state securities regulators, as applicable, and make sure that appropriate procedures are in place for complying with these requirements. For a mid-sized advisor this will mean reviewing and making sure that it is complying with the appropriate state rules and regulations versus those of the SEC.
Approaching Deadlines for Mid-Sized Investment Advisors
March 20, 2012
Under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act passed on July 21, 2010, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) is required to issue rules generally requiring “mid-sized investment advisors”, which is an investment advisor with between $25 million and $100 million of regulatory assets under management, to switch from the SEC to state registration. The intent of the new rule is to reallocate primary regulatory oversight of mid-sized investment advisors to the state securities regulators. The SEC’s new rule became effective July 21, 2011.
