On April 23, 2024, the White House announced that the Department of Labor (“DOL”) has finalized its Retirement Security Rule, also known as the “Fiduciary Rule.” The new rule extends the current definition of “investment advice fiduciary” under ERISA to include advisers when they “give investment advice for a fee to retirement plan participants, individual retirement account owners and others.” The rule and related exemptions will be effective on September 23, 2024, with a phase-in period for many of the exemptions and reporting requirements of one year until September of 2025.
On April 17th, 2024, the Division of Examinations (“EXAMS”) published a risk alert to inform investment advisers, investors, and other market participants about the examiner’s observations on the Marketing Rule. This risk alert highlights the Division’s focus on advisers’ compliance with the marketing rule and their completion of the marketing rule items contained in Form ADV as well as Advisers Act Rule 206(4)-7 (the “Compliance Rule”), Advisers Act Rule 204-2 (the “Books and Records Rule), and the Marketing Rule’s “General Prohibitions”.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has fined several companies in recent months for off-channel communications and record-keeping. At the recent SEC Speaks conference, Sanjay Wadhwa, deputy director of the Division of Enforcement, said the SEC considers several factors in determining the fine amount, including size of the firm, breadth and depth of the violations, whether a firm self-reported, level of cooperation, and more.
On March 29, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Examinations (EXAMS) published a Risk Alert on changes to the securities transaction settlement cycle. The Risk Alert noted that, as of May 28, 2024, “the standard settlement cycle for most transactions in US securities will shorten from two business days (‘T+2’) to one business day (‘T+1’).”
This year, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Exams will remain focused on the new Marketing Rule, as well as AI, according to Natasha Vij Greiner, deputy director of the SEC’s Division of Examinations, who recently spoke at the Investment Advisers Association (IAA) Compliance Conference in Washington, D.C.
On February 13, 2024, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) proposed a new rule to combat the investment of illicit funds in the U.S. financial system. The proposed rule would require certain investment advisers to apply Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) requirements pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).
On February 6, 2024, the SEC updated its Frequently Asked Questions page for the new Marketing Rule. The page now has four questions and four answers, which provide clarity on items such as the compliance date of November 4, 2022, and an adviser’s ability to comply early; the prescribed time period requirement and conditions on the use of interim performance information; presenting performance of one investment or group of investments in a private fund; and calculation of gross and net performance.