Regulations Flashcards
Securities Act of 1933 applies to
Non Exempt Issues
Registration under SEC 33 must be filed before
any sales related activites take place
Registration statement includes
- general character of business
- use of proceeds
- historical financial statements
- biographical date on officers
- legal issues
Deficiency letter
- disclosure is not sufficient
Final Prospectus must be delivered by
at or prior to confirmation of sale
Primary Distribution of Final Prospectus
must be given the first 90 days, after that it is no longer required
Secondary Distribution of Final Prospectus
after the first 40 days, it is no longer required
Exchange/ NASDAQ listed Distribution of Final Prospectus
after first 25 days, it is no longer required
Seasoned Issuer
- registered with SEC for 1 year,
- minimum of $75 mil market cap
Rule 415
- seasoned issuers can have a blanket letter filed with SEC for three years, bc registering with SEC is expensive
- no 20 day cooling period
Exempt
- US Government Issues
- Agencies
- Municpals
- Commercial Paper, and bank acceptances
Exempt Transactions
Common stock under a private placement
Section 4 (a)(2)
- allows private placements to institutional and wealthy investors without registering with the SEC
Section 4(a)(5)
- offers no more than 5 million made only to accredited investors are exempt
Issues that are regulated by another Federal or state law that are exempt are
- Bank Issuers
- Savings and Loan issuers
- Insurance Company Issuers
- Common Carrier Issuers
Small Businesses are ___ from SEC act of 1933
exempt
Nonprofit Business are ____from SEC 1933
Exempt
Non Exempt Issues from sec act of 1933
- Corporate stock, bonds, warrants, rights
- Options
- Investment Companies
- Non Variable Annuities
- Limited Partnerships
Rule 147 Intrastate Exemption
- federal laws only apply to interstate activities
- 100% of issue must be sold to residents of the state
- issuer MUST be in that state
- for a 6 month period after, re-sale is only allowed to resident of that state
- must comply with blue sky laws
Blue Sky Laws
- state registration requirements
Regulation D
- private placement execution
- sold to a MAX OF 35 NON ACCREDITED INVESTORS/ UNLIMITED NUMBER OF ACCREDITED INVESTORS
- No dollar limit/ no limit on units
Accredited Investors
- net worth of 1 mil
- annual income of 200,000 for past 2 years, joint 300,000
- officer or director of the issue
- financial inst. such as banks, insurance companies with assets of 5 mil or more
- non- profits with excess of 5 mil
Private Placements can only be advertised if
- they are advertising to accredited investors only
Full disclosure is given to Regulation D by
- an “Offering Circular” or an “ Offering Memorandum”
Investment Letter
- for “sophisticated investors( know the merit of the investment)”
- stating that they know that the issue is unregistered, that it cannot be readily resold in public, and tends to hold the issue as an investment
Purchaser Rep
- a lawyer or an accountant who evaluates the issue if the investor cannot
- registered rep cannot be a purchaser rep
Restricted Stock
- may only be sold in a private trade or under Rule 144
Regulation A
- intended to make it easier for start up companies to raise capital
Regulation A Tier 1
up to a maximum amount of $20 million, are given the easiest registration method and do not require audited financial statements
Regulation A Tier 2
- allow a maximum of $50 million to be raised, but require audited financial statements.
- Tier 2 issues are also called Regulation A+ issues and can be exchange listed.
Form 1-A
- filed with the SEC for the Tier requirements
- gives disclosure
- 20 day review period must be completed before the issue can be sold
Offering Circular for Regulation A
- Disclosure document
- during 20 day review period, preliminary offering circular must be delivered any customer at least 48 hours prior to sale
Test the Waters
- can distribute promotional materials to prospective purchasers prior to filing the offering statement with the SEC and all through the review period
Non Accredited Investors cannot purchase a Tier 2 offering that is
greater than 10% of their annual income or net worth
Rule 144
- allows small amount of stock to be sold periodically without a formal registration
- a way of registering restricted shares without registering with the SEC
Rule 144 and rules for selling restricted stock
- registered its shares outstanding and is in current filing with the SEC
- Files a form 144
- held securities for 6 months
- files a form 144 no more than 4 times a year
- max sale under form 144 is no more than greater than 1% of outsanding shares of the customer or, weekly average of the 4 week trading period preceding filing
Control stock
- affiliated or officer/ director of issue is not subject to hold for 6 months
Small offers and 144
- may sell up to 5,000 shares $50,000 worth every 90 days without filing
Act as a ___ in rule 144
- agent
Estate Owners and 144
- if the holder dies, his or her estate can sell the position without being subject to rule 144 limitations
Document that must be contained for Rule 144
- copy of the form 144
- Issuer and Broker’s representation letter
RULE 144A
- allows large institutional investors to trade privately placed securities
QIBs
- owns and invests on a discretionary basis at least $100,000,00
- can only sell to QIBS
PORTAL
The electronic trading of 144A for QIBS to QIBS
- owned by NASDAQ
Regulation Crowdfunding
- the raising of capital by small start-up businesses through relatively small investment amounts.
- private placement securities that are exempt from registration with SEC
Crowdfunding offering limit
- only raise a max of 1 mil
- can only be sold through FINRA registered broker dealers
Crowdfunding investment limits
- anyone can invest
- investors with income under 100,000 can only invest greater of 2,000 or 5% of the investors income
- for over 100,000 can only invest 10% of annual income
- adjusted for inflation index
Crowdfunding disclosure
- description of business
- discussion of risk factors
- name and positions of officers and 20% shareholders
- price of securities
- 100,000 must have financial statements by principal
- 100-500, unaduited financial statements
- 5000+ auditied financial statements
-
Offering requirements
- allows investors to direct questions
- obtain representation from investor that entire investment may be lost
- ## provide education material
Rule 145 Reorg
- substituting one security for another security
- merger or consolidation, in which securities will be exchanged
- transfer of assets from one person to another
Rule 153A
-shareholders must get a copy of the prospectus detailing the terms of the re org prior to the voting date
Rule 145 Exemptions
- stock split or reverse split
- change in par value
- stock dividend
Securities Act of 1934
- created SEC
- preventing manipulation and fraud in the securities market
Fraud Provisions
Apply to exempt an on exempt securities
FINRA rules are approved by the SEC and cover
Dealer-Dealer Practices;
Dealer-Customer Practices;
Dealer-Dealer Dispute Resolution Procedures;
Dealer-Customer Dispute Resolution Procedures.
Under SEC 1934, Every member firm must register with
FINRA
Under SEC 1934, Every officer of the firm must register with
FINRA
Under SEC 1934, Every sales employee must register with
FINRA
Tender offer for common stock must be
held for 20 business days
- sweetener extends for 10 days
Tender offer for bonds made by issuer must be
held for 5 business days
- sweetener extends for 5 days
Short Tender RUule
- must have a long position in the stock
Rule10-b-5
- if you do something the act didnt specify, and it is wrong it can be considered fraud
Insider Rules
- required to report trades within 2 days
- any short swing profits paid back to corporation
- prohibitted from selling own company’s stock short
The SEC regulates
Securities only
Regulation SHO
- every order ticket be marked long or short
Proxy Solicitation
- proxy materials filed 10 days before shareholders receive
- owns more than 5% reports 13D Filing within 10 business days that 5% is reached
- passive investor, 13g filed 45 days
Exchange and Member firms msut
register with the SEC
Free Credit Balance
- uninvested cash balances must receive quarterly notice with
- amount of free credit balance
- funds are available upon customer request
- funds are not segregated from other brokerage firms cash balances
Broker-dealer financial condition
- must send semi-annual financial statements containing
1. Balance sheet
2. Net Capital COmputation
Payment for Order flow
- must disclose to customers
- must disclose the identity of the market for the preceding 6 months
Payment Order Flow Quarterly Report
- % of customers orders that were non directed
- identity of 10 largest markets for who orders were non directed
- member firm’s relationship with the market maker
- any arrangement for payment for order flow
Regulation M
-prevent manipulation by individuals with an interest in the outcome of an offering, and prohibits activities and conduct that could artificially influence the market for an offered security.
Rule 103
any syndicate member who is a market maker in an issuer can either 1. resign as market maker for the 20 day period
or
act as passive market maker in the security
passive market maker
will not bid the stock higher in the market
agrees to limit daily volume trading
Rule 101
- limits on syndicate members who are not market makers
Tier 1 Regulation 1
- no trading restriction, applies to stock with average daily trading of 1 mil and min market cap of 150 mil
Tier 2 Regulation
- limited trading
- trading by syndicate makers who are not money makers is recticted for 1 day prior to effective date
- daily trading volume of 100m,000 and min market cap of 25 mil
Tier 3 Regulation M
-Inactive trading 5 days prior to effective date
- average daily trading volume of 100 mil
and market cap of 25 mil
Regulation M Trading restrictions only apply to
common stock offerings
Rule 105
- prohibits investors from manipulating the price of the follow on offering by selling short prior to the pricing of new shares, pushing the stock down
- fall would force underwriters to lower POP price, profiting in the end
Rule 104
- exempts stabilization as being a form of market manipulation as long as
- notice of stabilization is on the prospectus
- only 1 stabilizing bid
- at or below the POP
Tippee
recipient
Tipper
gives inside information
Violation of Tipper and Tippee,
only if the Tippee acts upon the information from the Tipper
Insider trading violation
up to 3x the profit or loss from the trade
5 mil for each inside trade
and up to 20 years in prison
Insider trading for control person
- 25 mil fine
- must be proven that person knew about the reckless behavior
Inside trade fines are paid to
Department of treasury
Regulation FD
- selective disclosure by issuers
- when a trader is deemed to be an insider
- at quarterly meetings any information discussed must be public information
Regulation FD and intentional disclosure of private information at a meeting
- simultaneously disclosing the information to the broad public
Regulation FD and non intentional disclosure or private information at a meeting
within 24 hours file an 8k with the SEC or by a broad distribution to the public
Rule 105b-1
- safe harbor rule that permits statutory insiders to set up a plan for trading that companys security
- specifies a future date with amount of securities to be bought/sold
Rule 105b-2
- misappropriation theory, if a person stumbles upon inside information they cannot be liable
Trust indenture act of 1939
all interstate offerings of non exempt bonds of 50 mil
investment advisor
give advice for a fee
must register with SEC
Federal Covered Advisors
larger advisors that must register with SEC
advisors to inv companies
any adv managing over 100 mil in assets
State registered advisors
advisor that does not fall under federal covered advisors
SIPC Covers
500 k in ewuity 250 k cash values
Cold calling rules
no calls before 8 am or afte r9 in recipients time zone
must identify himself by firm name, their name and address from he is calling
Sarbanes-Oxley
- accounting firm acting as auditor cannot perform any other function
- CEO and cfo must certify annually financial reports
- insiders prohibited from trading their own stock during black out periods
- insiders must report trades within 2 days
Research analysts must be separated from
investment banking
Blue Sky Laws
eachc state has its own regulation
new issues that will be offered in each State be registered in that State.
Registration by coordination
coordinates state registration application with federal application filed with SEC
Registration by qualification
used by company that has never filed in state before , most difficult
registration by filing
used by a company that has previously filed in the state
Securities exempt from state registration
Blue Chip Stocks
manual exemptions
Salesperson and Blue Sky Laws
making calls in a state or to that state must be registered in that state
series 63
Investment advisor Registration
must register and pass the series 66
Arbitration Panel
2 public and 1 non public arbitrator
Second Job and FINRA
- written notice must be given to employer firm
- receive approval from employer firm to be an officer or director of another company
- must be disclosed on u4
CE Regulatory Element
computer training on 2 anniversary and every 3 years after that
Regulatory Element is not completed
- must be completed within 120 days
- persons registration is suspended, cannot be paid
CE Firm Element
- annual training to cover relevant products, regulations and compliance issues
Annual compliance review
firm holds an annual compliance review attended by all registered represenatives
Military Leave
- can leave and pick up right where they left
- can still receive commisions
- can have another broker services customers and they can share their commisions
U5 Form
- if terminated, filed within 30 days
- 2 years after not being associated w a firm must re register
Reportable events
promptly within 30 days after even
Brokercheck
- broker’s employment history
- broker’s license
- broker’s complaint and license directory
- Broker’s OBA
Correspondence
all correspondence must be approved in advance unless has complaince program in place
Correspondence criteria
- any written or electronic communicate that is distributed to less than 25 retail customers within any 30 day period
- must be retained for 3 year
Registered Rep and customer sharing accounts
prohibitied
- unless, written approval of employer, profit and loss be shared in direct proportion to capital contributed
Changing order ticket after execution
not allowed unless signed off by branch manager
Time Stamp on Tickets
every ticket must be stamped with the time it was exectued or cancelled
Copies of order ticket must be kept for
3 YEARS
Options transaction costs
- significantly higher than other investments
Cash on Delivery Transactions
- firm has record of name and addres of agent
- order ticket notes it is COD
- confirmation is mailed no later than business day
- firm has obtained an agreement from customer with instructions to apay
Customer disputes
only handled by arbitration if customer signs the agreement
= handled by 3 public arbitrators
retail communication
any written or electronic communication provided to more than 25 retail investors within 30 day period, must be approved by principal prior
institutional communication
written/electronic communication to institutional investors, do not require prior approval as long as it has a “post use and approval” program in place
Retail communication types
- advertising
- sales literature( directed to a specific audience, circulars, market letters, password protected)
- independently prepared reprint
Recommendations and retail communications
- cannot be made in advertising
- can be made and sales literature and reprints
Copies of communication must be kept for
3 years
FINRAs filing rules for retail communication
first year or operation all retail communications must be filed 10 business days ahead of use
retail communications must always be filed
mutual fund
operation retail communications with member performance rankings
CMO advertising Disclosure
coupon anticipated yield and average maturity specific tranche id final maturity date underlying collateral
Research Report approved by
approved by Superior Analyst
Research Report Standards
recommendation must have a basis in fact which can be sustained as reasonable
- market price of stock at the time
- supporting documentation to the recommendation must be furnished upon request
- must be dated
- must state risk
A member may not issue research reports regarding an issuer for which the member acted as manager or co-manager of an initial public offering for
10 days following the effective date of the offering
3 days following secondary offering
If a research report recommends a security, the following disclosures are required:
- member firm/ affiliate owns more than 1% of stock
- associated person/household member has a financial interest in the security
- has managed/co managed security withina year
- has received compensation for this security
- is an investment banking service of this client
Research Report
any client communication that analyzes individual security or companies that includes enough information to make a research decision,
- distributed to more than 15 people
Third Party Research Report
- identity of firm must be disclosed
- conflict of interest must be disclosed
- representative must have prior approval to give out a third party research report
Research Report Retention
3 years
Regulation AC
requires research analysts at member firms to certify each published research report; and to make a quarterly certification covering all public appearances made during that quarter
If an analyst fails to make the Regulation AC ,
FINRA must be notified; and for the next 120 days, any research reports authored by that analyst must include the disclosure that the analyst did not provide the required certification.
FINRA code of procedure
- complaint is filed with OHO
- If OHO not satifised, hearing in front of FINRA hearing panel
- If either party disagrees, appeal with the FINRA Adjudicatory Council
- If either party disagrees again, appeal with SEC
- Disagrees again appeal with Federal Court
FINRA code of procedure penalty
- censure, suspension, expulsion, and fines
MRVP Fine
2500
What documents fall under 3 year retention
advertising
correspondence
customer orders
what documents fall under 4 year retention
customer complaints
what documents fall under 6 year retention
customer account statements
MSRB does not regulate
municipal issuers
MSRB can set regulations but cannot
force rules
Broker Dealer Enforcement AGencies under MSRB
SEC and FINRA
Municipal Securities Series 53
Engaged in management, direction supervision
- maintenance
- training
- processing
- research
- communications
- trading
- finacial advisory
- underwriting
Municipal Securities 52
not a principal
actions are not solely clerical or ministerial
Clerical Duties
- recording/entering orders
- reading approved quotes
- giving trade reports
If Series 52 is not passed within
180 days, he or she cannot perform any duties of a municipal representative
Municipal Principal
MSRB requires one from every municipal broker/dealer
Reviews required by Muncipal Principal
- opening of each customer account
- each municipal securities transaction
- handling of all customer complaints
- all correspondence relation to the solicitation of municipal securities
May pay for work under MSRB rules if
- prior to employment, written agreement with details of work and compensation
- written consent of that person’s employer
Signature requirements under MSRB
RR and manager
MSRB requirements for opening a new account at another firm
- dupe confirms
- any written instruction of the employer be followed by your firm
MSRB Annual Notice to Customers
- statement that broker dealer is registered with SEC and MSRB
- Website address for MSRB
- Statement to the availability of an MSRB Brochure
MSRB Financial advisor wishes to underwrite a security
cannot be underwriter under any circumstances
MSRB New Issue disclosure
- required to send final official statement, if prepared
- required to disclose spread for negotiated offerings
MSRB written complaint record must be kept for
6 years
Reasonable relationship to determine fair market value
- overall inventory position
- inventory position in that security
- anticipation of direction of movement
- knowledge about facts of the customer
Nominal quote
- workable
- informational
subject quote
- usually subject to some condition and has to be re-verified
Floor Broker
used to execute a transaction on the CBOE, may be either an employee member of firm or independent, cannot hold inventory
- under obligation to obtain best avaiable price
Market makers and CBOE
make the market, trade for their own account, does not deal w public
cannot act as floor broker in same security
OBO
works on salaried basis mainting public orders
public orders have priority over accounts with member firms
cannot take inventory positions
cannot take spreads
Designated Primary Market Maker
maintains a bid and ask quote in each assigned option, will handle the book of public limit orders
trading rotation
calls for bids and offers for each each series to establish opening price, only in single specified option contracts
closing rotation
always performed on last trading day prior to expiration,