LEM Flashcards
Alternative Uptick Rule
Designed to protect long holders trying to sell.
- Triggered once stock falls 10% from previous close
- Once triggered, is in effect for remainder of that day and next trading session
- Applies to both listed and OTC securities
- MMs must report shorts in retail and proprietary accts once a month to FINRA
Reg SHO
Requires firm to locate shares to be borrowed before initiating a short sale
-It is important to note that if an introducing BD initiates a short to its clearing firm, it is the introducing firm that is subject to Reg SHO
Threshold Security
When a stock has a significant number of shares short that have not been delivered
-If short is open for 13 consecutive business days, the shares must be bought back to close the short
Rule 204
Applies to shorts not threshold securities. Securities that have been shorted but not delivered must be closed out by settlement+1 (S+1) or if shares can be borrowed by that time.
Combined Equity
Add result of long and short (LMV-DR) + (CR-SMV)
Reg T in a Combined Account
Calculate Reg T for long positions and Reg T for short. Add the 2 together. Be sure to look out for short positions below $5
Maintenance Req in a Combined Account
Calculate separately and add together
Non-securities Credit Account
Account in which a BD conducts transactions, maintains commodities and FOREX and extends non purpose credit for employee stock option plans (ESOP)
Omnibus Account
Account used to effect transactions for the customers of another BD. The BD holding the omnibus account must have written statement from outside BD that transactions are for customers
BD Credit Account
A trading account used by a BD to effect transactions with outside creditors and those affiliated with them
Market Functions Account
Accounts used to finance transactions of MMs, underwriters, OTC MMs, and odd lot dealers
How can a cover call be met if exercised
- Account holds the shares
- An escrow agreement by an approved bank testifying that the shares can be delivered
- A security that can be converted into shares without additional funds
- A long call on the same stock with the same or later expiration and the same or lower exercise price
- A warrant to purchase the stock, so long as the warrant’s strike is less that the option and does not expire before the option
How is a short put covered?
- Account has enough cash to cover exercise
- Bank guarantees deposits on hand equal to exercise price
- Client is short the stock and the proceeds from the short and existing cash is enough to cover the price of exercise
- Long a put with same or higher strike of same or later expiration or both
Rules for Letter of Credit (LCs)
- No more than 50% of a members margin on deposit can be backed by LCs
- No more than 20% of a members margin on deposit can be backed by the LCs of a single issuer
Short Puts in a cash account
Are allowed if there is sufficient cash on hand to cover exercise. There are certain hold placed on the account until the option is exercised or expires
Requirements for naked options
Investor must maintain:
- an amount equal to the current option premium
- plus a percentage of the underlying security’s market value
- minus any amount the option is out of the money
Margin Req (naked option) listed stock
Current Premium+20% current market value–dollar amount out of the money
Maintenance Req for naked option
Only is an issue for out of the money options. In some cases, may be higher than initial requirement:
Premium+10% of underlying market value
Note: Shorts are still subject to 2000 minimum rule
Required Cash Deposit (naked options)
Margin Requirement-premium received
Margin Req for short straddles/strangles
The greater of the two margin requirements plus the other option’s current market value (premium)
Customer Portfolio Margining-CPM (risk-based margin)
Calculates margin requirement by analyzing overall risk of portfolio, thus allowing for less stringent margin requirements
- May lead to more risk
- Accounts must have a min liquidation value
- Firms are not required to offer CPM if they do not choose to
How does a firm become a FINRA member?
- Complete NMA form
- Complete new member contact questionnaire
- Submit fingerprint cards
- Submit U4 for applicable employees
- Pay registration fee
Fingerprint Cards
Must be maintained at company HQ. Principal office must provide written notification that prints have been processed from FBI
Member Application
Is submitted to the Department of Member Regulation (DMR) in the district office in the district of the firm’s principal office.
-The DMR then schedules a premembership interview to evaluate scope of business, understanding of FINRA rules, etc.
How long after premembership interview will the DMR render a decision
30 days
- Grant application
- Grant with restrictions
- Deny applications
Statutory Disqualifications
- Having been expelled or suspended by another SRO
- Subject to SEC order denying registration
- Lying about material facts on application or failing to disclose material facts
- Been convicted of money related misdemeanor or any felony in previous 10 years
Membership Agreement
Signed by firm once application is approved. Essentially states that firm will abide by FINRA rules and will stay within the scope of it designated business activities
When must a firm notify FINRA of a material change?
At least 30 days prior to the material event
A member must notify FINRA within 10 business days if a member or associated person
- Has been found to have violated fed securities law
- Subject to a customer complaint involving theft, embezzlement, or misappropriation of funds
- Beed suspended or expelled by another SRO
- Indicted, convicted, plead guilty to a criminal offense
- Is defendant for securities/commodities litigation settled for more than 15000 (ind) or 25000 (firm)
- Becomes subject to statutory disqualification
- Subject to in-house disciplinary action involving suspension, termination, fine, etc in excess of 2500
NYSE Rule 351 and form RE-3
Rule requires member firms to notify exchange of any disciplinary action. This disclosure is done on form RE-3
Retail Communication
Written communication sent to more than 25 individuals within 30 calendar days
Correspondence
Written communication sent to 25 or fewer individuals within 30 calendar days
Institutional communication
Written communication made available only to institutional clients (banks, S&L, govt entity, any entity with 50 mil+ in assets)
Options Advertisements
- brief description of options, exchanges, and how premiums are determined
- disclose that OCC is issues
- describe general options terms and strategies
- must include name an address of an individual who can provide a current OCC disclosure
- may include other statements as required by state law
- may include logos, banners, etc so long as they are not deemed to be miseleading
- Must be approved by ROP and receive exchange approval 10 days before first use (unless approved by another SRO)
Sales literature
- Can be written, oral, or electronic
- Must state that supporting documentation for any claims, comparisons, etc are available upon request
- Any sales literature sent to a customer must be proceeded with or accompanied by a OCC disclosure doc
Electronic communication
Remember, FINRA cares about what the content is and to whom it is delivered–not the method by which it is delivered. An instant message is the same as a written letter
Performance Projections are ok so long as….
- No implication of certainty
- parameters and formulas are clearly disclosed
- Cost, fees, commissions are disclosed
- Any annualized rate of return is based on a minimum of 60 day experience
- Any risks are disclosed
- Any mention of annualized return is dependent on results being duplicated, which is not a guarantee
Past performance is cool so long as….
- It is displayed in a balanced, universal manner (cannot simply cite past profitable recommendations)
- Must cover at least last 12 months
- Include date of initial transaction, price at the time, and when liquidation was recommended (these can be summarized so long as detailed reports are stated to be available)
- Shows overall market direction during the period
- Discloses commissions, interest
- Past performance does not guarantee future results
- Hedge clauses, caveats, disclaimers are not permitted if they are misleading
- ROP signs off that the statistics used fairly represent the overall report
Option Programs
- Often used in discretionary accounts
- Systematic use of a certain option strategy
- Any communication relating to an options program must disclose cumulative history of the program and its unproven nature
- Any risks and underlying assumptions must also be disclosed
Options Worksheet
- Usually a matrix used by firms to explain different options strategies/levels
- These must be uniform within the firm
- Worksheets are considered a communication. The firm’s sales office must have easy access and be able to monitor the accounts of those who have received the worksheet
Option Seminars
Firms that host option seminars must ensure all attendees receive a disclosure document.
- This can be mailed prior to the seminar (with a record of the mailing list)
- The disclosure doc must be distributed at the seminar again with each recipient being recorded
Testimonials
If testimonials are used, FINRA requires the person must have:
- The proper knowledge/experience to form an opinion
- Testimonial may not represent the experience of other customers
- The testimonial does not guarantee future performance
- The fact that a testimonial is paid if more than $100 in cash or value is given
Educational Materials
- Considered sales literature
- If using past or projected performance, must be sent with disclosure doc
- If NOT using past performance/projections, ODD is not needed, but must list name and address where one can be requested
- Must disclose risk
- Must be approved by ROP and exchange before use
- Cannot make a recommendation
- Cannot include annualized rate of return
Option Ads and Sales Lit
All ads, sales lit, and educational material pertaining to options must be approved by an ROP before use
Insider trading–things to consider
- Is the info material and non-public?
- Does the tipper gave a fiduciary responsibility to the firm?
- Does the tipper/tippee know (or should they have known) that the info was inside?
Civil Liability for insider trading
For an individual, 3x profit made or loss avoided
- For a member firm that is supposed to have WSPs in place, 3x profit/loss or $1 million (whichever is greater)
- All fines paid direct to U.S. Treasury
Statute of Limitations
A person can bring suit against any insider who bough (when they sold) or sold (when they bought) 5 years after the violation
-Under Dodd-Frank, the SEC can award bounties up to 30% of money recovered from insider trading
AML Program
- Member firms must designated a CCO to monitor AML program
- Frim must provide to FINRA name, mail, email, title, and phone of AML officer and notify promptly if this position changes
- AML program must be reviewed annually and approved by senior management
Currency Receipt (form 112)
In order to comply with BSA, firms must report any currency deposit of 10000 or more in a single day
- Failure to report can result in 500K fine, 10 years in prison, or both
- Form 112 records must be kept for 5 years
- Form 112 must be filed within 15 days of receipt of currency
- Fed Reserve and Dept of Treasury handle currency receipt issues
Suspicious Activity Report and FinCEN
Any transaction that alone or in aggregate amounts to at least 5,000
- may come from illegal activity
- is designed to evade BSA (structuring)
- serves no rational business purpose
- uses firm to facilitate criminal activity
- Wires of 3000 or more must be documented including name and address of sender and recipient, amount, name of bank, and account number of recipient
SAR Reporting
- Must be made within 30 days of becoming aware of the suspicious activity
- Cannot divulge to suspect
- Firm must refuse any subpoena and notify FinCEN of request unless disclosure is mandated by FinCEN, SEC, an SRO, or other law enforcement agency
- Records must be kept for 5 years
Exchange Approval
- Option advertisement must be submitted to exchange for approval at least 10 days before first use. This can be waived if the material has already been approved by another reg body with same standards
- Exchange does not approve sales literature
- Ads and sales lit must be kept for 3 years, documenting who prepared and who approved (2 years readily available)
Options Compliance
- All firms must have a series 4 ROP to supervise options business,
- ROP must make sure all clients have received an signed an options agreement within 15 days of approval
- An ROP can delegate some responsibilities to a branch office, so long as he/she has a procedure for monitoring delegated authority
Recruitment Advertising
- Must be fair and informative and contain no unwarranted claims
- BDs can run blind ads
Cold Calling
-a persons name is on do not call list for 10 years
Firms must have a WSP readily available to show compliance with do not call
-make sure reps record name and number of those who ask not to be called
-calls can only be made between 8AM and 9PM in the prospect’s time zone
Do not call exemptions
- Calls made to parties with whom there is an existing business relationship or permission has been granted
- Calls for debt collection
- Calls that are not made for a commercial purpose
Reg FD
- Required firms to make a public disclosure when non-public info gets out
- If unintentional, issuer must make a public disclosure before next trading day by filing an 8-K, holding a press conference, webcast, etc.
Customer Complaints
- No action needed if firm and client reach a resolution
- If not resolved, referred to FINRA Dept of Arbitration
- Must immediately notify FINRA if complaint involves theft, embezzlement, forgery, etc.
Statute of limitations
6 years from when the act occurred and within 1 year of discovery
Code of Procedure (COP)
If FINRA’s Dept of enforcement believes a violation has occurred, it will issue a formal complaint, appoint a hearing officer, and empanel a jury of industry personel
- Respondent has 25 days to address complaint
- Respondent has 14 days to respond to 2nd notice
- If no response received, can be deemed guilty
- Respondent has 14 days to address any amended complaint filed by the Department of Enforcement
Offer of Settlement
Allows respondent to propose a settlement by stating in writing:
-Law that was violated
-Acts that lead to the law being violated
-Statement accepting the complaint
-Proposing sanction consistent with FINRA’s guidelines
If offer is accepted by NAC, issue is considered closed
-If the offer is rejected, it cannot be entered into evidence during a hearing
Uncontested Offer
Essentially, once an Offer of Settlement has been made and is accepted, the respondent can not demand a hearing or appeal the issue
Contested Offer
When the Dept of Enforcement rejects an offer of settlement.
- When this happens, the original offer and the DOE’s rejection are submitted to a hearing officer who may call parties to a negotiation or forward offer to NAC
- If NAC accepts offer, issue is closed. If not, hearing begins
Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent
A written acknowledgement by a respondent to a violation, waiving of hearing/appear, and accepting sanctions
- Issue is closed is accepted by NAC
- If rejected, hearing begins (extremely rare)
Minor Rule Violation (MRV)
When a respondent accepts violation that is minor in nature (failing to update U4 in a timely manner)
- Respondent signs an MRV letter
- NAC may impose fine not to exceed $2500