Tis the season for announcing the year’s top examination priorities. This week, the SEC released its own examination priorities. Top priorities include:
- liquidity controls;
- public pension advisers;
- product promotion;
- exchange-traded funds; and
- variable annuities.
Thematically, the SEC’s priorities adhere to its larger objectives: protecting retail investors (especially retirement savings); assessing market-wide risks; and utilizing data analytics to look for illegal activity (AML, mircrocap fraud, excessive trading, etc).
Also, if you are an IA or Investment Company who has not yet had the pleasure of undergoing an SEC examination, they have made it a priority to give you that opportunity.
You can read the SEC’s full list here or review the summary, contained in its press release, here.