Small B-Ds Can Travel 2 Roads
From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law LLC:
Small broker-dealers face increasing regulatory costs, and that is forcing them to decide their business path. While some older owners are looking to close shop, others are taking advantage of the opportunity to acquire firms.
Over the past 5 years, total FINRA member firms have dropped by 14%. Plenty of broker-dealers and reps are left looking to be picked up or bought. But large firms are not necessarily looking to bulk up.
Compliance issues are a factor. Tina Maloney, Chairman and majority owner of Winslow Evans & Crocker Inc., feels, “There’s no sense purchasing a small firm without huge assets [and then] picking up all their compliance issues.”
Small firms are taking advantage of the opportunity. They can merger exiting firms and scale compliance expenses. Merging also allows small firms to avoid competing with large firms in recruiting. But potential recruits often are concerned with a small firm’s ability to deal with regulatory costs, arbitration awards, and increasing FINRA enforcement activity, including FINRA fines, which have increased 125% since 2013 to $135 million.
The attorneys of Eccleston Law LLC represent investors and advisers nationwide in securities and employment matters. Our attorneys draw on a combined experience of nearly 65 years in delivering the highest quality legal services.
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