The Securities and Exchange Commission today voted to propose amendments to Form PF, the confidential reporting form for certain SEC-registered investment advisers to private funds. The amendments, which the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is concurrently considering to propose jointly with the SEC, are designed to enhance the Financial Stability […]
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Commentary, news and links of interest to financial advisers.
OTC Markets
The over-the-counter market is where securities which do not trade on an exchange are traded. Securities traded on the this market are typically from smaller companies that do not meet the listing requirements from the exchanges. The OTC market is the default exchange for some securities, like corporate bonds. Alternatively, […]
UBS Pays $14.1 Million Defamation Award to Compliance Officer
After years of appealing the arbitrators’ decision, UBS finally pays. The appeals of the original arbitration award increased the amount UBS had to pay by a reported $3 million. According to AdvisorHub, in his arbitration complaint filed in June 2018, the compliance officer alleged UBS defamed him on his U5 […]
Morgan Stanley Deferred Comp Claims
Morgan Stanley may have violated ERISA rules when it cancelled certain deferred compensation assets for brokers who left the firm. We are investigating claims for Morgan Stanley advisors who were denied their deferred compensaton payments when they left the firm. There is a proposed class action pending, but individual advisors […]
Duties When Processing Transactions for Russian Elites
AdvisorHub is reporting that FINRA issued an alert on Friday warning about the compliance obligations triggered due to sanctions the U.S. government has imposed on individuals and entities in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The FINRA alert noted that following a White House Executive Order, the Department of […]
Cybersecurity Risk Management Rules and Amendments Proposed for Registered Investment Advisers and Funds
The SEC has proposed cybersecurity risk management rules for registered investment advisers, and registered investment companies and business development companies (funds), as well as amendments to certain rules that govern investment adviser and fund disclosures. “Cyber risk relates to each part of the SEC’s three-part mission, and in particular to […]
Securities Enforcement Investigations
SEC enforcement investigations cover a wide range of targets and witnesses, from the big investment banks and their employees, to public companies to private companies who are soliciting investments, small companies. The SEC conducts its investigations privately, and does so by requesting voluntary cooperation or issuing subpoenas for documents and […]
Robo-Adviser Settles SEC Charges of Misleading Investors
A robo-adviser is an automated investment tool that uses mathematical algorithms to evaluate the prospects of various investment options and, in theory, choose the best one. Robo-advisors are digital platforms that provide automated, algorithm-driven financial planning services with little to no human supervision. A typical robo-advisor collects information from clients […]
Private Fund Reporting Requirements to be Amended
The SEC is proposing to amend Form PF for certain SEC-registered advisors to private funds. The amendments will affect the disclosure of the fees and other compensation that are paid to a registered representative of an adviser of a private fund. In this Notice, we refer to the “proposed amendments” […]
SEC Issues Awards Totaling More Than $40 Million to Four Whistleblowers
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced three awards totaling more than $40 million to four whistleblowers who provided information and assistance in three separate covered actions. In the first order, the SEC issued an award of… Read the Full Press Release Have a securities law question? Call New York […]