Tag Archives: IARD renewal

Investment Management Law Weekly Overview – Week Ending November 22

Please see below our notes on the past week. If you have questions on any of these items, please feel free to contact us.

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Regulation S-ID Identity Theft Red Flag Rules went into Effect

On Wednesday the new Red Flag rules went into effect for many SEC and CFTC registered managers. In general, certain managers are now required to have identity theft programs in place which will include: staff training for appearance of red flags, procedures for dealing with red flags, certification of procedures from administrators and/or custodians dealing with investor/customer accounts. Managers who have not yet discussed program implementation with their outside counsel or compliance firm should reach out with respect to this issue. For more information, please see our post on Regulation S-ID Identity Theft Rules.

IARD Renewal – Fees Due by December 13, 2013 

SEC and state registered investment advisers will have until December 13th of this year to pay their renewal fees for 2014. To begin, managers will need to retrieve their preliminary statement to find out the amount they owe. Managers will then need to use the IARD’s new E-Bill system (which replaces the old E-Pay system) to pay the total amount due by December 13, 2013, the renewal payment deadline. Firms should submit their electronic renewal payments no later than December 10 in order for payment to post to the renewal accounts by the deadline. For more information, please see the IARD Renewal Checklist.

MF Global Ordered to Fully Reimburse Customers; Subject to $100 Million Fine

It now appears as if all of the futures customers at MF Global will be fully reimbursed. A federal court in New York recently ordered MF Global to pay over $1 billion in restitution to customers. The court also imposed a $100 million civil penalty on the company. For more information, please see the CFTC press release.

Manager Fined $250,000 for Numerous Compliance Violations Including Misstatements in PPM

It is vitally important that fund managers accurately describe their operating procedures in their fund offering documents. This includes such matters as valuation on fund assets. Additionally, managers need to be vigilant in making sure that statements made in the offering documents continue to be accurate. The SEC recently announced the issueance of an order that found, among other items, that the management company failed to adopt and implement written compliance policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violations applicable laws and regulations concerning three important areas of private fund management: (i) valuation of fund assets, (ii) the accuracy of disclosures to fund investors about the valuation practice, and (iii) cross trades between clients. In addition to the monetary penalty, the manager was censured and is now required to provide a copy of the SEC order to certain of its clients and investors. The full complaint can be found here.

Enforcement Actions

SEC

• There were a number of enforcement actions at the SEC level for run-of-the-mill financial crimes such as preying on elderly investors and receiving fraudulent kick-backs (note: interestingly, the SEC also charged the firm with aiding and abetting another firm with violation of the SEC’s custody rule).  Additionally, the SEC charged another tipper in the Galleon insider-trading scandal.

CFTC

Forex Pool Fraud – November 19, 2013. Specifically, the Order finds that, from at least June 2010 through April 2013, Prescott fraudulently solicited individuals to invest in Cambridge’s off-exchange forex pool and misappropriated $455,098 of pool participants’ monies, using some of those funds for air travel, hotel accommodations, and gambling. According to the Order, Prescott defrauded pool participants and prospective pool participants by misrepresenting the risks involved in forex trading and executing demand promissory notes in their favor that promised the repayment of the note amount and monthly interest payments, knowing or recklessly disregarding that he could not make those payments by his forex trading. Press release can be found here.

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Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP is a premier boutique investment management law firm, providing top-tier, responsive, and cost-effective legal solutions for financial services matters. Bart Mallon can be reached directly at 415-868-5345.

2011 Final Renewal Statement for Registered Investment Advisers

As we noted previously, registered investment advisory firms and firm representatives must renew their registration annually by paying a fee to FINRA.  In November FINRA issued a Preliminary Renewal Statement for each registered IA firm which stated the amount of renewal fees which were due by December 13, 2010.

While most firms should have by now paid the preliminary statement, each firm can now review their Final Renewal Statement.  The final statement is now available through the IARD system and reflects the firm’s and representatives’ final registration status as of December 31, 2010.  The final statement also reflects any adjustments as a result of registration approvals or terminations since the preliminary statement was issued. Firms and representatives should check their final statement to ensure all renewal fees are paid in full.  If 40 mg levitra the firm has any amounts due, payment should be made by February 4, 2011.

Below is information on how to access your Final Renewal Statement.

Accessing Your Final Renewal Statement

To check your firm’s Final Renewal Statement, follow these instructions:

  1. Log onto IARD here.
  2. Enter your firm’s ID and password.
  3. Review and accept the terms and conditions.
  4. Under the “Accounting” tab at the top of the page, select “Renewal Account.”
  5. Under the “Renewal Statement” link in the “Accounting” section, you can retrieve the Final Renewal Statement, which will state “Paid in Full” or “Amount Due.”

If an amount is due, the balance must be received by FINRA and posted to the Renewal Account by February 4, 2011.  Any renewal overpayments should have automatically been transferred to your Daily Account.

Additional information about the Final Renewal Statement can be found here.

If you have any questions regarding your renewal statement or any other investment adviser registration issue, please feel free to contact Mallon P.C. for more information.

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Bart Mallon, Esq. runs the hedge fund law blog and provides hedge fund compliance services to hedge fund managers through Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP.  He can be reached directly at 415-868-5345.

Registration Renewal For Brokers (IARD Notice)

It is that time of the year for registration renewals.  Renewal notices for investment advisor registration renewal were sent out by many states this week.  Additionally, brokers and brokerage firms will need to renew all of their registrations.  The following is the registration renewal notice I recieved today.  If your firm needs help with registration, please feel free to contact us.  Continue reading

California Investment Advisors Renewal Notice

I received this notice today from the California Department of Corporations.  All California registered Investment Advisors should take note that IARD renewal fees are due by next Friday, December 12.  If you are registered and need help with the renewal process, please contact us.  Continue reading