Law and Order – April 2026
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) posts the disciplinary actions it took to an online database. It also publishes a monthly summary of these actions, which is a worthwhile read for...
The CAT is Back on the Vet’s Exam Table: What the SEC’s New Concept Release Means
I’ve been around the Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT) long enough to remember when it was still mostly a noun clause and a gleam in a regulator’s eye. Now it is a fully grown animal—expensive, complicated, and the subject of renewed scrutiny. On April 16, 2026, the SEC issued...
Law and Order – March 2026
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) posts the disciplinary actions it took to an online database. It also publishes a monthly summary of these actions, which is a worthwhile read for those in the industry—if only for insight into FINRA’s current priorities. Below, I offer a...
Finally Something to Welcome on April 15
Broker-dealers familiar with FINRA’s “filing cabinet” system know it has often been cumbersome. In Regulatory Notice 26-09, FINRA announced enhancements to the Form NMA for applicants seeking FINRA membership before the Membership Application Program (MAP)...
FINRA’s (Fast) Forward: A Flurry of Updates
The beginning of 2026 not only brought “Snowcrete” to the Washington D.C. area, but a flurry of regulatory action from FINRA. FINRA issued several notable regulatory updates that, among other changes, seek to modernize the standards concerning communications with the public, account transfers, and even, giving gifts. These are:
Law and Order – February 2026
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) posts the disciplinary actions it took to an online database. It also publishes a monthly summary of these actions, which is a worthwhile read for those in the industry—if only for insight into FINRA’s current priorities. Below, I offer...
Law and Order – January 2026
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) posts the disciplinary actions it took to an online database. It also publishes a monthly summary of these actions, which is a worthwhile read for those in the industry – if only for insight into FINRA’s priorities. Below, I offer...
Douglas Adams Meets FINRA and the SEC . . . Really
From "Don't panic" to "So once you do know what the question actually is, you'll know what the answer means" to "I don’t know what I’m looking for . . ." to "Life’s bad enough as it is without wanting to invent any more of it" to (finally)...
Law and Order – December 2025
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) posts the disciplinary actions it took to an online database. It also publishes a monthly summary of these actions, which is a worthwhile read for those in the industry – if only for insight into FINRA’s priorities. Below is...
6 Tips for Writing Supervisory Procedures – The ABCs
SEC Rule 206(4)-7(a) requires registered investment advisers to implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and related rules. Similarly, under FINRA Rule...