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 you find yourself in trouble with the regulators, call Eccleston Law, you won't regret it.

Rick R.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1775574785 Law
April 7, 2026
SEC Charges Long Island RIA and Executives in $138 Million Private Fund Scheme

A Long Island-based registered investment adviser and two of its senior executives now face parallel civil and criminal proceedings tied to an alleged scheme involving conflicted private fund investments, as reported by InvestmentNews.

1775496481 Law
April 6, 2026
FINRA Arbitration Panel Orders Fidelity to Pay $1.3 Million Over Structured Product Disputes

A Financial Industry Regulatory (FINRA) arbitration panel has ordered Fidelity Brokerage Services to pay approximately $1.3 million to two groups of clients who alleged misconduct tied to structured product investments, according to ThinkAdvisor.

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.