Tr?id=566623520170033&ev=PageView&noscript=1

SEC's Examination of RIAs Focuses on Leadership Changes

Posted on September 14th, 2023 at 10:09 AM
SEC's Examination of RIAs Focuses on Leadership Changes

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law 

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Examinations issued a risk alert announcing its new focus.

The alert outlines the circumstances under which firms can anticipate regulatory scrutiny and specifies the documents they should be ready to provide. According to the alert, the SEC examines approximately 15 percent of the 15,000 advisers registered with the SEC each year.

The SEC may focus its attention on a firm based on various factors, including the firm's prior examination or conduct records, supervisory concerns such as the disciplinary history of advisors, conflicts of interest, the duration since its registration or last examination, significant changes in leadership or staff, and media reports. Additionally, the firm's susceptibility to financial and market pressures, previous disclosures, control over investor assets, and exposure to "service provider-related compliance risks" can trigger regulatory scrutiny, as outlined in the alert.

As reported by AdvisorHub, the SEC also is intensifying its enforcement of its marketing rule, which became effective in December 2020 and mandates that Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) must ensure they have a reasonable basis for substantiating material statements of fact, and performance advertising, testimonials, endorsements, and third-party ratings, as stated in a previous risk alert.

 

Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory, and disciplinary matters.

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, sec

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next
Quotes Bigger

If the regulators are after you, and are trying to make a case against you, and you are going to contest their allegations against you, make sure you have the best securities industry defense lawyers, Eccleston Law Firm. My case was spun into a combination of penalties including fines, cash settlements, CE courses and suspension. They were the best I have seen in action. When all was said and done, they had done their magic, my situation was negotiated and settled with a simple "letter of caution" and a case closed without action. It is the most important legal business decision you will ever make, make it Eccleston Law.

Rick R.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1775253477 Law
April 3, 2026
FINRA Enforcement Trends Show Higher Monetary Sanctions Despite Fewer Cases in 2025

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) increased total monetary sanctions in 2025, even as the number of enforcement actions declined.

1775060885 Law
April 1, 2026
Florida FINRA Arbitration Panel Orders Charles Schwab to Pay $3.8 Million to Investors

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration panel has ordered Charles Schwab & Co.

1774973592 Law
March 31, 2026
Cybersecurity Breach at Edelman Financial Engines Highlights Growing Risks for Advisory Firms

A recent cybersecurity incident involving Edelman Financial Engines has drawn attention to the increasing number of cyberattacks targeting registered investment advisers, according to Financial Advisor News.