Annual Report

Thanks to Blaine for tackling FINRA’s annual list of things it is paying particular attention to in 2021. – Alan

The world has changed a lot in the last 12 months, but those in the securities industry can always rely on their trusty regulator, FINRA, to put out its annual priorities list to provide

For the third year, FINRA has published its now-annual (apparently) statistical accounting of its membership and the registered representatives who work for those firms.  I went back and looked the blogs I posted after the 2019 report and the 2018 report, and, predictably (and somewhat sadly), the same trends continued last year as I

This past week, FINRA very, very quietly released its Annual Report for 2016.  Too quietly, as they say in the movies.  No press release.  No press conference.  No media attention at all, hardly.  As President Trump just asked about State Election Commissioners who refused to respond to a request from his Election Fraud taskforce for

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

Right around Christmas, NASAA, the North American Securities Administrators Association, which is comprised of the securities regulators from each of the 50 states, released its annual list of the top five threats to investors.  To compile the list, NASAA polled each state’s securities commissioner to learn the “the five most problematic products, practices or