Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations

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  SEC Issues Risk Alert on BDs’ Due-Diligence Duties for Municipal Securities

  By Melanie Waddell, AdvisorOne  |  March 19, 2012

  Citing a lack of due diligence by broker-dealers, the SEC on Monday issued a Risk Alert on compliance measures to help BDs fulfill their due-diligence duties when underwriting offerings of municipal securities.

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  SEC Adds 130 Examiners for ‘Priority’ Areas: Exam Chief di Florio

  By Melanie Waddell, AdvisorOne  |  March 15, 2012

  Carlo di Florio, director of OCIE, told CCOs that the SEC has hired 130 new examiners over the last 18 months and that the agency is focusing on three 'priority' areas when it comes to advisory firms.

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  SEC, Industry Experts Issue Stern Warnings to CCOs

  By Melanie Waddell, AdvisorOne  |  March 8, 2012

  Chief compliance officers received a number of stern warnings on Thursday during the Investment Adviser Association’s annual compliance conference just outside Washington.

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  SEC Issues Risk Alert on Unauthorized Trading in Brokerage, Advisory Accounts

  By Melanie Waddell, AdvisorOne  |  February 28, 2012

  The Risk Alert issued by the SEC warns that although BDs and RIAs are subject to different regulatory requirements, both face similar risks of financial and reputational losses arising from unauthorized trading.

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  Obama’s 2013 Budget Raises Taxes on Top Earners, Bolsters SEC Budget

  By Melanie Waddell, AdvisorOne  |  February 13, 2012

  President Barack Obama on Monday released his 2013 budget to Congress, which includes boosting taxes for higher income earners as well as allocating more funds to the SEC.

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  Municipal Advisors Rule Still in Flux

  By Marlene Y. Satter, AdvisorOne  |  February 10, 2012

  Those looking for guidance on how to proceed regarding the new rule requiring registration of municipal advisors will have a bit longer to wait.

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  Social Media and You

  By Melanie Waddell, AdvisorOne  |  February 1, 2012

  Social media: Those two words have become ever present in our daily lives and it’s safe to say that, to some extent, a good portion of us use a social media outlet on a daily basis.

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  SEC: Senior Management and Boards That Fail to Support Compliance Face Most Scrutiny

  By Melanie Waddell, AdvisorOne  |  January 31, 2012

  Carlo di Florio, director of the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations, said Tuesday that the SEC is bent on “elevating” the role of compliance by “underscoring that it is not a responsibility that stops at the desk of the CCO."

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  SEC Exam Chief to AdvisorOne: SRO Option Still Viable

  By Melanie Waddell, AdvisorOne  |  January 31, 2012

  Carlo di Florio, director of the SEC's Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations, told AdvisorOne on Tuesday that the recent boost in funding that the SEC received from Congress is not enough to thwart the need for an advisor SRO.

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  SEC Charges Advisor With LinkedIn Fraud, Issues Social Media Alerts

  By Melanie Waddell, AdvisorOne  |  January 4, 2012

  The SEC on Wednesday charged an Illinois-based advisor with offering to sell fictitious securities on LinkedIn, and the agency also released three alerts warning advisors of the risks advisory firms and investors face when using social media.