New States Adopt NASAA IAR CE Model Rule, California Expected To Join

Investment adviser representatives (IARs) are required to meet Investment Adviser Representative Continuing Education (IAR CE) requirements annually if registered in a state that has adopted the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA)’s Investment Adviser Representative Continuing Education Model Rule. There are currently eleven (11) states that have adopted and implemented the IAR CE requirement. An additional four (4) states have adopted the IAR CE model rule with an implementation date of Jan. 1, 2024, among them is the state of Florida. More states, including California, are expected to adopt IAR CE requirements this year. With the possible addition of California, […]

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SEC Releases Risk Alert on Adviser Marketing Rule Outlining Key Areas of Focus for Examinations

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently published a risk alert highlighting additional areas of focus in relation to the amended Marketing Rule. In 2020, Rule 206(4)-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 was amended to modernize rules that govern investment adviser advertisements and payments to solicitors. The first risk alert was published September of 2022 and detailed performance advertising, substantiation, policies and procedures, and books and records requirements. In addition to the initial Marketing Rule exam areas of review, the recent alert emphasizes three key areas of additional emphasis: testimonials and endorsements, third-party ratings, and Form ADV. The […]

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FINRA Introduces New Remote Inspections Pilot Program

Three-Year Pilot Program Seeks to Modernize Inspection Process for OSJs, Branch Offices, and Non-Branch Locations The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has withdrawn its original remote inspection pilot program from 2022 and proposed a new pilot initiative. This revised program aims to bring the inspection process for Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction (OSJ), branch offices, and non-branch locations into the modern era. The proposed pilot program is currently open for public comment. Risk Assessments and Preaudit Questionnaires The pilot program, which is set to last for three years if approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), would require participating firms […]

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RegEd Hosts Tenth Annual Client Conference

The conference agenda featured sessions united around best practices to tackle pressing challenges in today’s demanding business and regulatory environment. RegEd, the leading provider of compliance technology solutions to the financial services industry, hosted its tenth annual RegEd Compliance Alliance (RCA) Client Conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL on April 3rd – 5th, 2023. Compliance, licensing and registration, and operations professionals from the nation’s leading financial services firms gathered at the conference to share best practices, build critical knowledge across a range of topics, and interact with regulators and industry experts. The conference included substantive sessions, panel discussions and expert presentations […]

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Frank Brienzi Appointed as CEO of RegEd

Seasoned industry veteran to take the reins and lead RegEd to its next level of growth as John Schobel assumes board position to focus on strategic imperatives and M&A. RegEd, the market-leading provider of enterprise regulatory compliance solutions to insurance companies and financial services firms, is pleased to announce that Frank Brienzi, an industry executive with 35 years’ experience driving growth in large and mid-market companies, will assume the role of CEO of RegEd. RegEd is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private equity firm.   Brienzi is a highly accomplished business leader with significant CEO experience. […]

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Licensing Technology and Evolving Expectations

Less That Does More The financial services industry expects dramatically more from the technology that supports it. Once paper-based, systems are now a single application with a frictionless experience for users. The best licensing and registration operations have the ability to aggregate real-time data from multiple sources, provide straight-through processing for a host of functions, and support multiple channels.  Intuitive and Interactive Just five years ago, firms said agents were resistant to technology and still preferred paper. Today, that has completely changed. Agents and advisers want interactive systems that have to be online, intuitive, and completely frictionless. They have a […]

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Business Process Automation (BPA) v. Robotic Process Automation (RPA): Which is best for L&R Operations?

BPA Drives L&R Efficiency For many the financial services industry, there can be confusion between BPA and RPA. Business process automation, known as BPA, has proven most effective at driving efficiency for licensing and registration operations. Robotic process automation, or RPA, is often seen as the ultimate enabler of efficiency, which is true in other applications. Here, we explain the difference. Process Management v. Saving Keystrokes Robotic process automation (RPA) replicates human keystrokes in a repeatable process, such that a bot enters data in fields on a screen to create records, and in some cases, completes a transaction. In short, […]

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RegEd Named to 2023 RegTech 100 as Leading Innovator by FinTech Global

The annual list identifies the world’s most innovative providers in the regulatory technology market that are helping financial institutions address their most pressing compliance and risk management challenges. RegEd, the leading provider of regulatory compliance and credentialing solutions for the financial services industry, has announced that it has achieved placement in the 2023 RegTech 100 list. The list, presented annually by FinTech Global, recognizes the most groundbreaking companies in the RegTech space. “We are thrilled to be recognized as one of the leading innovators in our industry,” said John M. Schobel, CEO & Founder of RegEd. “RegEd is committed to […]

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Insurance Compliance Lifecycle: A Closed-Loop Process to Managing Regulatory Change Successfully

Each year, thousands of regulatory changes are made that could materially affect the insurance industry, and the number is rising. In any given year, more than 40,000 regulations—including legislative bills, administrative rules, bulletins, advisories, alerts, directives, and interpretive guidance—must be vetted to determine if they affect the business of insurance. According to RegEd’s internal research, there were about 2,400 new or revised state regulations enacted or adopted that directly affected the insurance industry in 2013. In 2021, there were over 3,300, an increase of almost 40%. As the number escalates, new regulations themselves are becoming more complex, especially around risk […]

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Market Conduct Exams: Best Practices to Ensure a Smooth Process and Stay Under the Radar for Future Examinations

By David Sheehan and Rebecca Vasquez, Esq. For an insurance company, the key objective of a market conduct examination (MCE) is to avoid it. As regulators pay more attention to problem areas, behaving well in the marketplace in the first place mitigates the chances of being examined. The No. 1 defense against an unscheduled market conduct examination is a documented and well managed compliance program, and companies that follow a few best practices find they can stay under the regulatory radar, and when they are selected for examination, they can be fully prepared to make it go smoothly. 1. Know […]

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