Series 65 wk 7 Flashcards
What did the National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996/Coordination Act do?
Eliminated regulatory duplication of effort and established registration requirements for investment advisers.
What are the registration requirements of the National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996?
A federally covered investment adviser must register with the SEC and is any investment adviser who:
- Manages at least $110M
- Manages investment company portfolios
- Is not registered under state laws
What must all federally registered investment advisers do (2)?
- Must pay state filing fees
- Must notify the administrator in the states in which they conduct business
A securities administrator may not audit a federally covered investment adviser unless that adviser’s principal offices are located in that administrator’s state.
If an investment adviser manages less than $100M, what are they required to do? What about over $100M?
Less than $100M – required to register with the state
More than $100M – becomes eligible for federal registration (An investment adviser who manages between $100 and $110 may choose to register either with the state or with the SEC)
When an investment adviser reaches $110M AUM, when must they register with SEC?
90 days after reaching $110 AUM, must file Form ADV and adviser’s registration will become effective within 45 days.
What happens if investment adviser’s AUM falls below $90M?
Adviser must withdraw federal registration by filing Form ADV-W within 60 days and is required to register with the appropriate states within 180 days.
What does the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act of 2010 define the current levels of investment advisers as?
- Small adviser: advisers with less than $25 AUM
- Mid-size adviser: advisers with $25M-$100M AUM
- Large advisers: advisers with more than $100M AUM
How much do pension consultants need to have to be eligible to become federally registered?
$200M AUM
Where must all investment adviser representatives register?
Those who maintain an office within the state must register within the state.
Who is considered an investment adviser representative (4)?
An individual who:
- Gives advice on the value of the securities
- Gives advice on the advisability of buying or selling securities
- Solicits new advisory clients
- Is an officer, director, or partner of the investment adviser
If an investment adviser representative represents a federally covered investment adviser, where do they need to register?
Must register with the state where they work as well as where they have clients even though firm is not required to register.
What must an investment adviser submit to the state securities administrator in order to register with the state (4)?
- Application Form ADV
- Consent to service of process
- Filing fees
- Audited balance sheet within 90 days of year end
Who must maintain a minimal level of financial solvency (capital requirements)?
State registered investment advisers. Federally registered investment advisers are not required to meet any capital or net worth requirements.
What is minimum net capital for advisers with custody of a customer’s cash and securities? What happens if they can’t meet this requirement?
$35K, if can’t meet requirement, need to post a surety bond.
When is an adviser considered to have custody?
If they have their customers’ cash and securities held at their firm or if they have full discretion over their customers’ accounts.
What does full discretion allow adviser to do?
Allows adviser to withdraw cash and securities from customer’s account without consulting the customer.
What is net capital minimum for advisers with limited discretionary authority over customers’ accounts?
$10K, this means they may not withdraw or deposit cash or securities without customer’s consent
If a state registered adviser’s net capital falls below minimum requirement, what must adviser do (3)?
Notify the state administrator of the adviser’s net worth by the close of the next business day and file a financial disclosure report with the administrator by end of next business day. Also required to post a bond to cover capital deficiency (bond will be rounded up to nearest $5K).
Who must maintain a positive net worth at all times? Who are not required to maintain minimum level of liquidity?
Must maintain positive net worth – investment advisers with custody of funds
Not required to maintain minimum level – investment adviser representatives
The state securities administrator may require who to take an exam which can be oral, written or both?
Investment adviser representatives as well as officers and directors of the firm
What is requirement of net capital , surety bond, exam and fees for broker dealer, investment adviser and agent?
Broker dealer: Net capital – Yes; Surety bond – Yes; Exams – Yes; Fees – Yes
Investment adviser: Net capital – Yes; Surety bond – Yes; Exams – Yes; Fees – Yes
Agents: Net capital – No; Surety bond – Yes; Exams – Yes; Fees - Yes
What is a “rush order”
When administrator allows registration of any applicant to become effective in a period of less than 30 days
All advertising and sales literature for an investment adviser must be filed with the state securities administrator. The administrator may require prior (3):
- Form letters
- Prospectuses
- Pamphlets
What must investment advisers keep the following records for a minimum of 5 years unless that state securities administrator requires a different period of time (3):
- Advertising and sales literature
- Account statements
- Order tickets/order memorandum
What 9 things must investment advisers keep accurate records relating to?
- Cash receipts and disbursements
- Income and expense ledgers
- Order tickets, including customer’s name
- Adviser’s name, including executing broker and discretionary information
- Ledgers and confirmations for all customers for whom the adviser has custody
- Financial statements and trial balance
- All written recommendation to customers
- Copies of advertisements, circulars, and articles sent to more than 10 people (NASAA requires copies of records sent to 2 or more people to be maintained
- Copies of calculations sent to more than 10 people (NASAA requires copies of calculations sent to 2 or more people to be maintained).
What is an investment adviser required to provide all prospective clients?
A brochure or with Form ADV Part 2A and 2B at least 48 hours prior to the signing of the contract or at least at the time of the signing of the contract, if the client is given a 5-day grace period to withdraw without penalty.
What will the brochure or Form ADV Part 2A and 2B state (5)?
- How and when fees are charged
- Types of securities the adviser does business in
- How recommendations are made
- Type of clients the adviser has
- Qualifications of officers and directors
What must advisers who use a qualified custodian have if they do a direct fee deduction from client accounts? What rule is this under?
They must have written authorization from each client to deduct the fees directly from client accounts. NASAA Model Rule.
What must be sent to client if a fee is deducted directly from their account?
An invoice detailing the fee as well as the formula for determining the fee. If the fee is based on the value of the account, then the value of the account at the time the fee is charged must be provided.
Who must the statement for client accounts be sent by? What are the 3 entities that are classified as this by NASAA?
A qualified custodian, this includes these 3 entities:
- A banking institution covered by FDIC insurance
- A registered broker dealer in the business of holding or carrying customer funds and securities
- A foreign financial institution in the business of providing such services who segregates customer assets from its own
What is the role of the investment adviser?
Has a contractual relationship with his or her clients and must always adhere to the highest standards of professional conduct (charges a fee for his or her services for advising clients).
What are the additional compensation for investment adviser?
In addition to the fees charged by an investment adviser, an investment adviser may also:
- Receive commissions for executing a customer’s transaction through certain broker dealers
- Act as a principal in a customer’s transaction
What causes a person to meet the definition of an investment adviser and requires person to register?
The receipt of compensation (which may be made directly or indirectly for the benefit of the person receiving the advice)
What are 3 ways compensation can be received?
- Advice is paid for by a third party for the benefit of the person receiving the advice, such as a parent for the benefit of an adult child
- A corporation retains a person to advise employees regarding their pension plans
- A person advises employees regarding their pension plans and only receives commissions on securities or insurance products.
What is an agency cross transaction?
One in which the investment adviser represents both the purchasing and selling security holder either as an investment adviser or as a broker dealer.
If the investment adviser is going to execute an agency cross transaction, what must he or she must get?
The advisory client’s authorization in writing. (Authorization may be pulled at any time verbally and the adviser may not have solicited both sides of the trade).
What must adviser send to all clients annually?
Notice detailing the number of all agency cross transactions completed by the adviser
How often must an investment adviser update form ADV?
Annually within 90 days of the fiscal year end.
How often must the investment adviser provide each client with an updated brochure?
Within 120 days of the adviser’s fiscal year end. Brochure must be provided free of charge.
What information must brochure include (6)?
A summary of material changes to the advisory firm including:
- Conflicts of interest
- Sources of recommendations
- Location of customer’s funds for advisers with custody
- Any legal actions taken against the adviser
- Material facts
- Soft-dollar arrangements
What things must be disclosed by an investment adviser promptly (4)?
- Material change to the ownership or control of the adviser
- If adviser is a corporation and one of the firm’s major stockholders sells, pledges, or assigns their block of controlling voting shares
- Nature of transfer is deemed to be an assignment, client would have to give their consent to continue the relationship
- If advisory firm is organized as a partnership and major partner dies or departs
When is a person deemed to control the investment adviser?
If they own 25% or more of the adviser’s capital or are entitled to receive 25% or more of the adviser’s assets upon dissolution. (Officers with executive responsibilities would be considered to control adviser if person directly or indirectly has the ability to direct the policies of the investment adviser.
An investment adviser may not: (6)
- Borrow from a customer
- Commingle customer’s funds with the adviser’s funds
- Accept an order from a party not named on the account of the customer
- Churn customer accounts
- Make unsuitable recommendations
- Charge unreasonable fees
An investment adviser with custody of customer’s funds must (7):
- File Form ADV Part E
- Segregate all customer funds and securities
- Give the customer a written notice of the location of the funds
- Establish a separate bank account for the customer’s funds
- Provide quarterly statements showing all transactions and account status or arrange for a qualified custodian to provide such statements
- Go through an annual surprise audit
- Provide clients with a balance sheet.
When is a state registered investment adviser considered to have custody of funds? What must they provide and do?
State registered investment advisers who charge upfront fees of $500 or more and more than 6 months in advance. They are required to provide clients with a balance sheet and make required disclosures relating to the location of assets.
When is a federally registered adviser considered to have custody of funds?
Federally registered adviser will be deemed to have custody if upfront fees are $1200 or more and more than 6 months in advance.
What does NASAA require any state registered investment adviser to do if they inadvertently receive a check made payable to a client? What happens if they don’t do this?
Client must return check to sender within 72 hours (3 days), if adviser doesn’t return check in time required, then NASAA will consider the adviser to have custody of client funds. (does not apply at federal level or in cases where clients write a check payable to a third party such as a bank, brokerage firm, or other third parties).
State securities administrator may or nay not allow advisers to have custody of clients’ funds, if custody is allowed, what must adviser do?
Notify the state that they have custody and adhere to all requirements relating to custody of client funds.
All investment adviser contracts must be in writing and must contain disclosures of (7):
- Length
- Services to be provided
- Fees to be charged and how they are assessed
- Amount of any prepaid fees to be returned upon cancellation of the contract
- Statement prohibiting the investment adviser from assigning the contract without the customer’s consent
- Notification of any changes in the adviser’s management
- Limits on the adviser’s discretionary authority over the customer’s account, if any
NASAA allows state registered advisers to exercise discretion for how long? What happens after that?
10 business days from the date of the first transaction. After 10 business days written discretionary authorization must be received from the client prior to exercising further discretion.
What additional roles are considered as investment advisers (2) and are required to register as an investment adviser?
- Sports and entertainment representatives who advise clients on investments, where to invest, tax planning and budgeting
- Individuals who advise pension funds on the merits of portfolio managers or who act as pension consultants
When can a private investment company/3C7 fund charge performance-based compensation to clients?
If the clients have a minimum of $1M of assets under the adviser’s management or have a net worth of $2M. Corporations with $25M in assets and individuals with at least $5M in investments also may participate.
What is a fulcrum fee?
Provides the adviser with additional compensation for outperforming a broad-based index such as the S&P 500 and less compensation for underperforming the index.
Who can charge fulcrum fees?
Advisers, who manage accounts for investment companies or accounts with a value greater than $1M (if those accounts are not for trust or retirement plans)
What is a wrap account?
An account that charges one fee for both the advice received as well as the cost of the transaction.
What must all clients who open wrap amounts be given?
The wrap account brochure known as schedule H that will provide all of the information that is found on Form ADV Part 2.