Small Introducing Firm Business Continuity Planning Template

FINRA is providing a template as an optional guide to small introducing firms to assist them in fulfilling their need to create and maintain business continuity plans (BCPs) and emergency contact person lists under FINRA Rule 4370. The template recognizes that many small introducing firms rely on parts of a clearing firm’s BCP for many of the mission critical functions of the introducing firm. The template also contains instructions, relevant rules and Web sites, and other resources that are useful for developing a BCP for a small introducing firm.

 

The template was revised as of May 12, 2010 with the following changes:

 

  • Updated rule citations to FINRA Rule 4370 (which carries over NASD Rules 3510 and 3520 without substantive change;
  • Updated resources for business continuity planning; and
  • The previously free-standing BCP Disclosure Statement is now a part of the template itself.

 

An attachment to the template has been added on September 1, 2004 to provide a draft BCP disclosure statement, which is discussed under “Section XIII Disclosure of Business Continuity Plan” of the revised template.