Every year, RegEd reviews the latest guidance on CE Council Firm Element topics. Several times a year, the CE Council, established by FINRA to oversee the continuing education rules, writes the regulatory element exams and issues guidance on what they consider appropriate FE training topics.
Following are some highlights of new or updated topics as they appear in the recent Fall Advisory.
Alternative Investments
- Digital Assets: Updated for Reg. Notice 19-24: Encourages firms to keep FINRA abreast of their activities related to digital assets.
- Cryptocurrencies: An alert to warn investors to be cautious when considering shares of companies that tout the high returns associated with cryptocurrency-related activities without the business fundamentals and transparent financials to back up such claims. (RegEd Course 912)
- Supervision: Complex Products: FINRA Notice 12-03. Identifies characteristics that may render a product “complex” for purposes of determining if a product is subject to heightened supervisory and compliance procedures and gives examples of heightened procedures. (RegEd Course 916)
Anti-Money Laundering
- Suspicious Activity Reporting: Updated for Reg. Notice 19-18 on red flags. (2020 AML Update course, 35AU20)
Communications
- FINRA Regulatory Notice 19-31 (September 19, 2019): Disclosure Innovations In Advertising And Other Communications With The Public.
- Communications Related To Departing Registered Representatives: Updated for Reg. Notice 19-10. FINRA Provides Guidance on Customer Communications Related to Departing Registered Representatives.
Cybersecurity
- Imposter Websites: Updated for Info Notice April 29, 2019. FINRA Provides Guidance to Firms Regarding Suspicious Activity Monitoring and Reporting Obligations. (We will add this info to our existing Cybersecurity courses 876_2 and 897)
- FINRA Information Notice: October 2, 2019: Cybersecurity Alert: Cloud Based Email Account Takeovers.
- Fraudulent Phishing Emails: Updated for Info Notice February 13, 2019. FINRA Warns of Fraudulent Phishing Emails Targeting Member Firms.
Financial Responsibility Rules for Broker-Dealers
- Capital, Margin and Segregation Requirements: New. Discusses SEC Rel. No. 34-86175. The SEC adopted capital and margin requirements for security-based swap dealers (SBSDs) and major security-based swap participants (MSBSPs), segregation requirements for SBSDs, and notification requirements with respect to segregation for SBSDs and MSBSPs. (We will update course 922, which addresses the current status of Dodd-Frank.)
Fixed Income
- Supervision: Municipal Advisors: Updated for FINRA Reg. Notice 19-28 on Guidance Regarding Member Firms’ Supervisory Obligations When Participating in Investment-Related Activities with Municipal Clients. (Covered in the 2020 Supervision Update.)
Margin
- Exchange Traded Notes: New. Discusses FINRA Reg. Notice 19-21 on new higher strategy-based margin requirements for ETNs and options on ETNs.
Municipal Securities
- General: New. Discusses MSRB Reg Notice 2019-15. SEC Approves Amendments to MSRB Rules and Data Collection Related to Primary Offering Practices. (2020 Municipal Securities Update)
- General: Advertising Rule Changes: New. Discusses amended Rule G-21 on advertising by brokers, dealers, or municipal securities dealers. (2020 Municipal Securities Update.)
- General: Best Execution Rule: Updated to discuss MSRB Reg Notice 2019-5 amending implementation guidance on MSRB Rule G-18. (2020 Municipal Securities Update)
Obligations to Customers (New)
- Regulation Best Interest: New. The SEC is adopting a new rule, Reg BI, establishing a standard of conduct for broker dealers and natural persons who are associated persons of a broker-dealer when they make a securities recommendation to a retail customer. Enhances the standard of conduct beyond existing suitability obligations, and aligns it with retail customers’ reasonable expectations. (Course 923, Regulation Best Interest & Form CRS)
- Suitability: Know-Your-Customer and Suitability Obligations. Same discussion of Rules 2090 and 2111 as contained in the last FE Advisory.