SEC Releases SCSD Self-Reporting Initiative Settlements

The SEC recently announced its first round of settlements with registered investment advisors (RIAs) who had self-reported pursuant to the agency’s Share Class Selection Disclosure Initiative (SCSD Initiative). Additional RIA settlements pursuant to the SCSD Initiative are expected, and RIAs who did not self-report face additional scrutiny from the Division of Enforcement. Industry reaction has involved frustration, but the SEC’s focus on RIA conflicts of interest, disclosures, and more recently revenue sharing is increasing.

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State Fiduciary and Best Interest Developments

A number of states are seeking to impose fiduciary or best interest requirements on broker-dealers, investment advisers, financial planners and/or insurance brokers and producers in their dealings with customers. While the rules vary from state to state, they are in addition to – and sometimes inconsistent with – federal requirements being considered by the SEC or by the Department of Labor for retirement investment advice. We have prepared a chart summarizing the activities in each state along with proposals of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), which we update periodically as needed. You may access the chart here.

Nevada Proposes Fiduciary Regulations

Nevada has released a proposed regulation to regulate broker-dealers and their advisors as fiduciaries. In 2017, the state amended its securities law to provide that broker-dealers and investment advisers owe a fiduciary duty to their customers, but the change didn’t provide details on what that meant. Instead, the legislation required that a regulation be issued to explain and implement the change. Nearly a year and a half later, a proposed regulation has been released.

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Alert: FINRA’s 529 Plan Share Class Initiative to Self-Report

On January 28, 2019, FINRA released its Regulatory Notice 19-04 announcing its 529 plan self-reporting initiative. This initiative is part of FINRA efforts to have broker-dealers promptly remedy potential supervisory and suitability violations related to recommendations of share classes for 529 plans. Continue reading “Alert: FINRA’s 529 Plan Share Class Initiative to Self-Report”

Fiduciary Status for the Unwary

If you thought that avoiding fiduciary status would be a slam-dunk after the “new” DOL fiduciary advice rule was vacated, think again. The DOL’s old fiduciary regulation is back and it casts an unexpectedly wide net.

Let’s start with the background. The reinstated fiduciary definition says that a broker-dealer and its advisor (a “broker”) are fiduciaries to a plan if a functional five-part test is satisfied: (1) the broker provides advice about investments for a fee or other compensation, (2) on a regular basis, (3) under a mutual understanding, (4) that the advice will form a primary basis for the plan’s decisions, and (5) that the advice is individualized based upon the plan’s particular needs. For this purpose, a “plan” includes not only an ERISA plan, but also an IRA. (In the context of IRAs, being a fiduciary under the five-part test does not itself implicate a standard of care, but does apply to the applicability of certain prohibited transactions.)

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A Summary of FINRA’s 2018 Report on Examination Findings

Last week, FINRA issued its 2018 “Report on FINRA Examination Findings.”  This report tracks FINRA’s 2018 Priorities letter, which this blog has previously covered.  Putting its member firms on notice, FINRA advised that it issued the report as another resource for firms to “strengthen their compliance programs and supervisory controls.”  Not surprisingly, the first highlighted observation is “Suitability for Retail Customers.” Specifically, FINRA reported that:

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Recommending Rollovers in the Evolving Regulatory Environment (Part 3)

In Parts 1 and 2 of this post, we talked about the current and proposed rules applicable to rollover recommendations by broker-dealers and RIAs. Part 1 discussed the DOL and FINRA rules that apply now. In Part 2, we explained the SEC proposals. In this post, we talk about how to make a compliant rollover recommendation, regardless of which set of rules applies.

(“Rollover recommendation” refers to advice to a retirement plan participant to take a distribution of his or her account and roll it over to an IRA that is being advised by the broker-dealer or RIA.)

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Third Circuit Affirms Right to FINRA Arbitration, Widens Circuit Split

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit recently ruled that a broker cannot avoid FINRA arbitration with a customer through contractual forum selection clause that fails to specifically mention arbitration (Reading Health v. JP Morgan, No. 16-4234 (3d Cir. Aug. 7, 2018)). The court’s opinion denying the company’s appeal widens an existing circuit split on the issue of contractual forum selection clauses superseding FINRA’s mandatory arbitration rules.

Under FINRA Rules 12200 and 13200, disputes arising between a FINRA member and its associated persons or customers must be arbitrated through the FINRA arbitration process. In the Third Circuit case, the customer had filed a statement of claim with FINRA in relation to various auction rate securities (ARS) offerings the company had underwritten. The broker refused to arbitrate, and the customer filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania seeking to compel arbitration.  The customer won at the district court level, and the broker appealed based on a forum selection clause in its broker-dealer agreements that stated:
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Drinker Biddle Launches Best Interest Compliance Team

As discussed regularly on this blog, the financial industry has seen a stream of rules and regulations in recent years that relate to the standard of care and management of conflicts for broker-dealers, investment advisers, insurance agents and companies.

The need for experienced counsel to help navigate the evolving and overlapping federal and state “best interest” obligations has increased. It’s the reason we’re excited to announce the launch of our Best Interest Compliance Team.

This interdisciplinary group of more than 20 lawyers consists of attorneys with experience across Investment Management, ERISA, SEC & Regulatory Enforcement Defense, Litigation/FINRA Arbitration, and Insurance Regulatory and Transactional practice areas.

The Best Interest Compliance Team will help clients make decisions about questions such as:

  • What does the SEC’s proposed Regulation Best Interest mean?
  • How does the SEC’s RIA interpretive guidance impact the standards currently applied to RIAs?
  • What is the effect of the court order vacating the DOL’s Fiduciary Rule and what already-implemented changes will continue under the SEC proposals for RIAs and broker-dealers?
  • How should written supervisory procedures be revised in light of these changes and proposals?
  • What measures should be taken to show good-faith compliance with the DOL’s non-enforcement policy?
  • Where should broker-dealers/RIAs/insurance companies go from here?
  • How should insurance agents deal with conflicting state regulatory schemes?

To learn more about the new Best Interest Compliance Team, read our press release or visit our team page on the Drinker Biddle website.