MyComplianceOffice Blog

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently released the staff bulletin Standards of Conduct for Broker-Dealers and Investment Adviser Conflicts of Interest to reiterate the required standards and obligations for broker-dealers under Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) and for investment advisers the fiduciary duty standards under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

2020 has been a scary year and there have been a few things that have spooked the most experienced compliance officer. Covid-19 compliance, regulatory updates and deadlines,  and a few large fines and sanctions haunted firms throughout the year. In this blog, we share our thoughts about recent events that unnerved normal compliance operations and should be considered as we move towards 2021.

On April 7 the SEC published two Risk Alerts providing broker-dealers and investment advisors with information on the expected scope of initial Regulation Best Interest enforcement. The guidance indicated that initial exams will focus on evidence that firms have made “good faith” efforts to comply.

On April 2 the SEC issued a statement indicating that despite the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the June 30, 2020 deadline for Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) would not be deferred.