More On Legal & Compliance
from The Advisor's Professional Library- Risk-Based Oversight of Investment Advisors Even if the SEC had a larger budget and more resources, it is doubtful that the Commission would have the resources to regularly examine all RIAs. Therefore, the SEC is likely to continue relying on risk-based oversight to fulfill its mission of protecting investors.
- Privacy Policies and Rules Whether an RIA is SEC or state-registered, the firm must have policies and procedures in effect to protect clients’ privacy. Policies and procedures should explicitly require an RIA to send out its privacy notice each year.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced Wednesday that it has launched a pilot program offering parties in simplified cases pro bono or reduced-fee telephone mediation.
Participation in the pilot program, which began on Jan.15, is voluntary and open to cases involving claims of $50,000 or less, FINRA says.
“Telephone mediation is a lower-cost alternative, and would benefit dispute resolution forum users in many ways,” said Linda Fienberg, president of FINRA Dispute Resolution, in a statement. “Besides eliminating the travel and preparation costs typically associated with in-person mediation, telephonic mediation offers greater convenience and flexibility, and is a practical alternative for all parties involved.”
Parties interested in participating in the pilot can notify FINRA by visiting www.finra.org/arbitrationmediation/smallclaims. Also, FINRA says staff will notify eligible parties about the pilot program.
Mediators would serve on a pro bono basis on cases involving claims of $25,000 or less in damages. Reduced-fee mediation ($50 per hour) would be available on cases with damage claims between $25,000.01 and $50,000. FINRA says it will not charge any administrative fee for these cases.
