IACCP Flashcards
Sec. 206 of Adviser’s Act
Anti Fraud
Examples of Sec. 206 “Fraud”
- Device/scheme/artifice to defraud client/prospect
- Transaction/practice/course of biz to defraud client/prospect
- Knowingly sell any security to or purchase any security from a client when acting as principal own account w/o disclosing in writing before the completion of the trx and obtaining the client’s consent. (Principal Trade).
- Knowingly effect purchase/sale of a security for client’s account when also acting as broker for person on other side of trx w/o disclosing in writing before the completion of the trx and obtaining the client’s consent. (Agency Cross Trx.)
- Failing to conduct an annual review of policies and procedures.
Fiduciary Duties
- Suitable advice;
- Full/fair disclosure of material facts;
- Disclosure of conflicts of interest;
- Loyalty/good faith;
- Seek best execution;
- Reasonable care to avoid misleading clients.
Duty of Care
- Provide investment advice in best interests of client:
1 - Reasonable inquiry into client objectives (minimum inquiry into client’s financial profile);
2 - Reasonable belief that advice is in client’s best interest. - Seek best execution where the IA has responsibility to select broker-dealers to execute client trades;
- Provide advice and monitoring.
Duty of Loyalty
- Put client interests ahead of own;
- Disclose all material facts to client;
- Eliminate conflicts of interest or obtain informed consent of client.
- Disclosure must be sufficiently specific;
- Disclosure/consent do not themselves satisfy duty to act in client’s best interest.
Best execution
- Goal of maximizing value at the time of trx.
- Best qualitative execution (not just lowest commission).
Define “Investment Adviser”
Any person or firm that:
1 - Provides advice/analysis re: securities (making recommendations to clients or providing research or opinions on securities or securities markets); and,
2 - Receives compensation for advice; and
3 - Engages in regular business of providing advice to others re: securities.
Excluded from Def. of “Investment Adviser” - 7
- Domestic banks/bank holding companies;
- Lawyers/accountants/engineers/teachers if services are solely incidental;
- Broker-dealers if advisory services are incidental and no special comp.;
- Publishers of newspapers/magazines of regular circulation;
- Advice related to securities that are direct obligations of the US government;
- Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Orgs.
- Family Offices
Exempt from Registration - 10
- Intrastate advisers: all clients are w/i same state as IA’s principal business address and does not provide advice or issue reports re: securities listed on any national securities exchange;
- Only clients are insurance companies;
- Private fund advisers
- Foreign Private adviser
- VC fund advisers
- Exempt Reporting Advisers
- Charitable Organizations and Employees
- Church Plans
- Commodity Trading Advisors
- Family Offices
Qualifying Private Fund Definition
Issuer that would be an Investment Company but for exclusions under Investment Company Act.
Private Fund Adviser Definition
- In US if (1) acts solely as advisor to one or more qualifying private funds; and (2) AUM of less than $150M;
- Ex-US if (1) all US clients are qualifying private funds; and (2) US AUM is less than $150M
Foreign Private Adviser Definition
- no place of business in the US
- fewer than 15 clients and investors in the US;
- less than $25M AUM in the US;
- does not hold itself out as IA in the US
Define client
- a natural person
- natural’s person’s minor children (regardless of whether they share the same residence)
- relatives/spouse/relative of the spouse sharing the same principal residence as natural person
- Accounts/trusts for which such natural person and/or the foregoing persons are the only primary beneficiaries
- a partnership/LLC/corp./or other legal org to which the IA provides advice based on the org’s investment objectives.
VC Fund Definition
- pursues VC strategy;
- makes qualifying investments;
- limits leverage;
- offers no broad redemption rights;
- has not registered under the IC Act or elected to be a business development company;
- is a private fund
VC Fund Grandfather Rule
Fund considered a VC fund even if it doesn’t meet the definition if:
- Pursues VC strategy;
- Initial/final closing - Dec. 31, 2010 - July 21, 2011.
- Private fund
Exempt Reporting Advisers Definition
- Advisers whose clients are all VC funds;
- Private fund advisers w/ less than $150M in assets in the US;
- Exempt from registration, but required to file portions of ADV Part 1 & SEC has exam authority.
Family Office Definition
- Provide securities advice only to family clients;
- Family clients must wholly own the family office and family members and/or family entities must control the family office;
- Family office must hold itself out as an IA
Family Member Definition
- Former family members, inc. spouses and adopted children/stepchildren.
- Lineal descendants of a common ancestor no more than 10 generations removed
Family Clients Definition
Current and former family members, certain employees of the family office, charities funded exclusively by family clients, estates of current and former family members or key employees, trusts existing for the sole benefit of family clients, etc.
Duty to Supervise
SEC can take action against IA or person associated with IA if person aided/abetted a violation of any person or “has failed reasonably to supervise, with a view to preventing violations of [the law].” No failure to supervise if:
- Established procedures and a system for applying such procedures to prevent/detect violations; and
- Person reasonably discharged duties/obligations w/o reasonable cause to believe that procedures were not being complied with
State Registration
Small advisers must register in state in which they do business unless:
- Exempt from registration;
- Principal office and place of business in a state that does not regulate IAs; or
- Qualify for an exemption
Small Advisers Definition
$25M or less AUM
Mid-sized Adviser Definition
$25-100M AUM.
Must register with SEC if:
- IA is not required to be registered an an IA;
- If registered in the state, would not be subject to exam.
- Currently only applies to WY and NY
Buffer Zone
$90-110MM AUM
NY IA Registration
IA whose principal office and place of business is NY must register with state up to $25M and with SEC over $25M.
RAUM
AUM = Securities portfolios to which IA provides “continuous and regular supervisory or mgmt services.”
- Securities portfolio = at least 50% of the total value of the account consists of securities. (Cash and cash equivalents are counted as securities.)
- 50% rule does not apply to private funds - value of all assets of private fund must be counted.
Must include (1) family or proprietary accounts; (2) accounts for which IA receives no comp; (3) accounts of clients who are not US persons.
Must not include (1) assets managed by another person; (2) real estate or businesses that are not managed as investments; (3) commodities.
RAUM should be calculated on a gross basis.
Private funds: AUM should be valued at market value (or fair value if market value is not available).
Exemptions from Prohibition on Registration - 5
- Pension Consultants - w/ min. value of $200M
- Affiliated Advisers - IA’s controlling/controlled by SEC-registered IA with same principal office and place of business;
- New IAs - expectation that firm will be eligible w/i 120 days
- Multi-state - mid-sized IA if required to register w/ 15 or more states;
- Internet advisers
ADV Updates - timing
- Annually, w/i 90 days of IA’s fiscal year end (annual updating amendment);
- Whenever certain changes occur:
- Adding or removing a relying adviser
- Identifying info (item 1), Form of org (item 3), custody (item 9), disclosure info (item 11), schedule R (info) becomes inaccurate.
- successions (item 4), participation of interest in client trx (item 8) or control persons (item 10) becomes materially inaccurate.
Investment Adviser Representative
- Supervised person regularly solicits, meets with, or communicates with firm clients;
- Has 5+ natural clients and 10%+ of the clients are natural persons.
- Not HNW clients – i.e., Qualified Clients don’t count.
Supervised Person
Employee who provides investment advice and is subject to supervision/control of IA.
Qualified Clients
$1M AUM;
$2.1M net worth, not including house.
“Qualified Purchasers” ($5M AUM); or
Executives/partners at IA.
Form PF - who must file?
- RIA that advises one or more “private funds” with at least $150M RAUM;
- IA registered with CFTC as commodity pool operator or commodity trading adviser, and registered as IA with SEC, and has at least $150M RAUM.
Private fund definition
Hedge fund, liquidity fund, PE fund, real estate fund, securitized asset fund, VC fund, other private fund.
Form PF - when to file?
Annual w/i 120 days of end of FY.
Except large PF advisers:
- Liquidity fund adviser w/ at least $1B RAUM = quarterly w/i 15 days of end of quarter;
- Hedge fund adviser w/ at least $1.5B in RAUM = quarterly w/i 60 days of end of quarter;
- PE adviser w/ at least $2B in RAUM= annually w/i 120 days of FY end
- If a firm is no longer required to file, must file final Form PF no later than the last day on which its next Form PF would be timely.
Aggregating AUM for Form PF
- Assets of managed accounts that pursue same investment objective and strategy and invest side by side in substantially same positions as PFs advised by IA; and
- assets of PFs advised by any of IA’s “related persons.” (other than separately operated).
B&R - how long?
Generally, in “easily accessible place” 5 years from end of FY during which last record entry was made - first 2 years in an appropriate office of IA.
B&R - what records?
- Organizational records - maintain in principal office and for 3 years after termination of IA:
- Accounting records;
- Portfolio Management records;
- Business Agreements/Arrangements;
- Client relationship materials;
- Marketing records
- Code of Ethics/Personal Securities Transactions
- Compliance Programs
- Political Contributions
- Electronic Records
B&R Organizational Records
- Formation documents, corporate articles, partnership agreements, by-laws, certificates of formation.
- Minute books;
- Ownership records of the entity.
B&R Accounting Records
- Journals (include cash receipts and disbursement records);
- Ledgers;
- Bank account info.
- Bills and statements;
- Trial balances, financial statements, etc.
B&R Portfolio Management Records
- Memos re: each order given by the IA to buy/sell any security, including:
- Modification/cancellation of the order/instruction;
- Terms/conditions of the order/instruction;
- Identity of person who recommended trx to client and person who placed order;
- Account for which order was entered and date of entry;
- ID of bank/broker/dealer that executed; and
- Any designation of orders entered per use of a discretionary power.
- Research files
- Account and trading communications.
- Client securities trx records;
- Securities reference reports
B&R Business Agreements/Arrangements
All written agreements or arrangements entered by IA with any party or otherwise relating to IA’s business.
B&R Client relationship materials
- Client Agreements/arrangements.
- Proxy voting materials:
- P&P, proxy statements, record of each vote cast; any document that was material to making voting decision; copies of written client RFIs re: voting and written responses.
- Communications w/ clients - broad.
- Discretionary powers;
- Powers of attorney;
- Disclosure document delivery
B&R - IAs with custody - what add’l records must be maintained?
Must keep add’l records:
- Journals;
- Separate ledger accounts;
- Confirmations;
- Securities records;
- Internal control reports.
B&R - Marketing records
- Marketing materials sent to 10 or more persons.
- Maintain for 5 years after end of FY during which IA last published/disseminated marketing communication.
- Not generally required to maintain names/addresses of person to whom IA sent marketing communication;
- Performance material - all materials necessary to show basis for any performance calculation.
- Solicitor material:
- Written agreement establishing solicitation agreement;
- Copies of IA’s disclosure documents and copies of the separate disclosure documents prepared by solicitors/delivered to clients;
- Copies of signed/dated acknowledgement of receipt of IA’s and solicitor’s written disclosure documents.
B&R - Code of Ethics
- Copy of current code of ethics and any code adopted w/i past 5 years.
- Record of any violation of code of ethics;
- Record of each written acknowledgement of receipt of the code by supervised persons.
B&R - Personal Securities Transactions
- Record of access persons for past 5 years;
- Access persons’ holdings and trx reports;
- Record of preapprovals.
B&R - Compliance Programs
- P&P for past 5 years;
- Documentation of annual review.
B&R - Political Contributions
- Names/titles/business and residence addresses of each covered associate;
- Gov’t entities to which IA provides advisory services for past 5 years;
- Direct/indirect contributions.
Define Covered associate
IA executives;
Employee who solicits a government entity for the investment adviser and any person who supervises, directly or indirectly, such employee;
PAC controlled by the investment adviser or by another covered associate.
Brochure Rule
- ADV 2A
- Disclosure re: IA’s business practices, types of clients, conflicts of interest (and how addressed), disciplinary action, summary of material changes.
- Delivered to each client/prospect before or at the time IA enters K.
- Wrap fee clients receive separate wrap fee disclosure document.
- Filed with SEC; publicly available.
Wrap Fee Program Definition (ADV 2A, Appx. 1)
- bundled investment management and brokerage services for one fee.
- delivered at/before services.
Brochure Delivery
- Deliver to clients before or at the time IA enters into advisory K;
- Not required to be delivered to registered investment companies, business development companies or clients receiving impersonal advice that are charged less than $500/yr.
- W/i 120 days of end of FY, IA must deliver updated brochure or a summary of material changes w/ offer to provide full copy of brochure (w/ website address and telephone #);
- Or, promptly when becomes materially inaccurate.
Brochure Supplement Delivery
- Initially given to each client (including sophisticated clients) at or before advisory services.
- Promptly when becomes materially inaccurate or new disciplinary event is added.
- Statement of material changes can be delivered instead of full supplement.
- Not filed publicly.
Brochure Recordkeeping
- Copies of brochure/supplement should be maintained in client file.
- Maintain a record of dates that each brochure and supplement, each amendment and summary was given to any client or any prospect that subsequently becomes a client.
- No requirement that proof of client receipt be maintained, but it’s a best practice.
Brochure Supplement (ADV 2B)
- Advisory personnel on whom client relies for investment advice:
- supervised person who gives advice to client and has direct client contact;
- any supervised person w/ discretionary authority over client account.
- if a team, just the 5 persons with greatest day-to-day responsibility.
- Education, college, age, number of years in industry, etc.
Form CRS (ADV Part 3)
- Info re: retail client’s relationship with IA, related services and fees.
- Deliver at/before when new retail investor engages IA or for existing clients:
- when new account is opened;
- recommendation to roll over assets from a retirement account into a new or existing account or investments;
-
Retail Investor Definition
- Natural person, or legal rep of natural person, who seeks or receives services primarily for personal, family or household purposes.
Insider Trading (204A)
- IAs required to establish, maintain and enforce written P&P reasonably designed to prevent misuse of material, nonpublic info by IA and any person associated with IA
Codes of Ethics
- IAs must adopt/enforce code of ethics that includes:
- Standard of business conduct for supervised persons;
- Requirement that supervised persons comply with applicable securities laws;
- Requirement that access persons report, and adviser review, personal securities transactions and holdings periodically;
- Requirement that access persons pre-clear personal investments in IPOs or limited offerings;
- Requirement that supervised persons report violations to IA’s CCO;
- Requirement that IA provide each supervised person receive code and each supervised person provide written acknowledgement of receipt.
Access Person definition
supervised person w/ access to MNPI; or involved in making securities recommendations to clients.
- presumption that directors, officers and partners are access persons.
Personal securities reporting
- Access persons;
- Complete report of holdings of reportable securities w/i 10 days of becoming an access person and at least annually thereafter.
- Quarterly Transaction reports: all reportable personal security trx must be reported no later than 30 days after calendar quarter end.
- Annual/quarterly holdings reports must contain title/type of reportable security, exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP, number of shares, principal amount of securities; name of broker/dealer/bank where access person maintains account; date on which report was submitted.
- Initial must be current as of 45 days.
Reportable Securities Exclusions
- Direct obligations of US gov’t;
- money markets;
- shares of money market funds;
mutual funds; - units of a UIT (open end ETFs);
Personal securities reporting exclusions
- Accounts over which access person has no influence or control;
- Automatic investment plans;
- Duplicative info contained in broker trade confirmations or account statements.
IA Contracts
- Must be in writing;
- No performance fees (except under certain circumstances);
- Must include provision prohibiting assignments w/o client consent.
Assignment Definition
Direct or indirect transfer of an IA contract by an advisor or any transfer of a controlling block of an adviser’s outstanding securities.
Advisory Fees Based on AUM
- no specific rules, but if fees are higher than typical, must be disclosed that services may be obtained for less elsewhere.
- fees should be reasonable
Performance fees
- Prohibited except for qualified clients ($2.1M net worth not including home or $1M AUM); private funds, non-US residents, ERISA clients; certain knowledgeable employees of IA.
Rebate of performance fees
- Ok if IA discloses rebate terms to all clients participating and applies them fairly/consistently
Directed brokerage
- IA must disclose potential negative results to client, including acct may pay higher brokerage commissions, receive less favorable prices and forego savings from batched orders.
Principal Transactions
IA, acting as principal for own account, cannot buy/sell security from/to client unless IA discloses it to the client in writing prior to settlement and client has given consent.