If your investment adviser firm is required to file Form 13F, please be aware that your firm is now required (subject to certain exceptions) by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to file an annual report on Form N-PX by August 31, 2024. This report will cover the most recent 12-month period ending June 30 and must include the firm’s proxy voting record related to executive compensation matters.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has adopted amendments to Regulation S-P which require investment adviser firms registered with the SEC to adopt written policies and procedures for incident response programs to address unauthorized access to or use of customer information including procedures for providing timely notification to customers affected by an incident involving sensitive customer information.
The FINRA 2024 Entitlement Certification period will begin on Monday, April 15. This is when FINRA begins requiring all Super Account Administrators (“SAA”) to certify the other administrators and users with accounts on the IARD/Web CRD system. The SAA for your investment adviser firm has the ability to create/delete other administrators and user accounts. An administrator can create/delete user accounts. For more information about the importance and responsibilities of the SAA, see the following website: https://www.finra.org/filing-reporting/entitlement/super-account-administrator-saa
On Thursday, April 4, we received numerous inquiries from investment adviser firm owners and/or senior executives who had received an unexpected email supposedly from FINRA’s Chief Legal Officer or Chief Information Officer which utilized an email address ending in @ data-finra .org. In response, our Consulting Team contacted the IARD Entitlement Support Line which confirmed that these emails did not originate from FINRA.
With the new requirements that corporations, limited liability companies and other entities report the identities of their beneficial owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), the chief compliance officer (“CCO”) of an investment adviser firm and sponsors of pooled investment vehicles should be aware that certain investment adviser firms and pooled investment vehicles are eligible for an exemption from FinCEN’s beneficial ownership reporting requirements.
According to the Daily Montanan, a class-action lawsuit has been filed against the State of Montana. This lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of a licensing fee structure imposed on non-resident investment adviser representatives and securities salespersons, alleging it violates the privileges and immunities clause of the United States Constitution.
The Office of the Investor Advocate of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently released a report about the SEC staff’s study of mandatory arbitration clauses in investment advisory client agreements used by investment adviser firms registered with the SEC.
For investment adviser firms which are state registered with Nebraska, it’s crucial to be aware that there are certain additional documents which must be submitted directly (via a ShareFile link) to the Nebraska Securities Bureau in addition to and separate from the paying the regulatory fees associated with annual renewals and filing the Form ADV Annual Amendment via the IARD (“Investment Adviser Registration Depository”) system.
As we approach the end of the year, it is crucial for investment adviser firms to review their 2024 Preliminary Renewal Statements, which are now accessible through their IARD accounts. This statement is an overview of the firm’s current registration status and the associated renewal fees. Let us delve into the specifics of this renewal statement and its implications for your investment adviser firm.