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Facilitating Compliance

To best ensure investor protection as a self-regulatory organization, it is critical that FINRA engage in a two-way dialogue with its member firms. It is our duty to provide the information members need to understand and meet their regulatory obligations, and in turn we regularly solicit and incorporate member feedback in order to refine our efforts.
Facilitating Compliance

This begins with ensuring that all firms and individuals are appropriately registered with FINRA and that individuals have passed relevant qualification exams. From there, we require individuals to take continuing education courses as well as offer ongoing optional programs in subject areas such as compliance, regulatory, ethical and sales practice standards, among others.

FINRA regularly engages with member firms to provide resources, tools and effective practices that help facilitate compliance with our rules. Each year, we provide an annual Exam Findings and Observations Report, Annual Exam and Risk Monitoring Priorities Letter, and host other timely, topical events such as member roundtables and forums.

We also believe that it is appropriate, after a reasonable period, to look back at our significant rulemakings to determine whether a rule or rule set is meeting its intended investor-protection objectives. These retrospective reviews look at the substance and application of a rule or rule set, including any unintended consequences, as well as our processes to administer the rules.

Podcast
With the cancellation of the 2020 FINRA Annual Conference and other in-person events throughout the year, we’ve gone virtual with a variety of on-demand conference panels on regulatory hot topics.
Webinar
Register to attend an upcoming webinar to learn about the installation of ProProctor, a Prometric application that FINRA is using to deliver qualification exams online, on company-issued equipment. During these hour-long sessions, FINRA and Prometric technologists will discuss resources available to firm Information Technology staff, and a substantial amount of time will be reserved to answer questions.
Podcast
As of June 30, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Regulation Best Interest—or Reg BI—is officially in effect. What does a post implementation-date world look like? And how is FINRA working to ensure a consistent approach to examining around and enforcing the new regulation? Tune in to learn more.
News Release
SG Americas Securities to Pay $3.1 Million in Total Fines to FINRA and SEC WASHINGTON—FINRA announced today that it has fined SG Americas Securities, LLC (SGAS) $1.55 million for submitting inaccurate trade data (known as “blue sheets”) to FINRA for more than seven years. Additionally, the firm must also certify within 90 days of this settlement that it conducted a comprehensive review and revised its systems and procedures related to the deficiency.
News Release
On April 7, 2020, the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) released Risk Alerts for Reg BI and Form CRS.  These Risk Alerts set forth OCIE’s expectations for firms’ compliance with Reg BI and Form CRS and provide broker-dealers with information about the scope and content of OCIE’s initial examinations following the compliance date of June 30, 2020.  FINRA will take the same approach as se
Podcast
The new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has rapidly changed the way U.S. broker-dealers must conduct business as states implement various shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders, forcing workers remote. On this episode, we talk to FINRA’s Chief Legal Officer and Head of Member Supervision to learn how FINRA is adapting its operations and providing important regulatory relief.
Podcast
The Membership Application Program Group is the gatekeeper to the broker-dealer industry. It works both to protect investors by ensuring would-be firms meet FINRA’s standards of admission and to help new and existing firms grow and evolve, ensuring a vibrant market for all. On this episode, we learn more.
Podcast
The CE Council, FINRA and other CE Council members are working together on the biggest change to continuing education for broker dealers in 25 years. On this episode, we hear both the firm and regulatory perspective as we learn what will be changing in the years ahead.
Podcast
When deciding where and in what to invest, it’s important that investors understand the risks—not just the marketing hype. That’s why FINRA’s Advertising Regulation Group works to oversee broker-dealer communications to ensure that they are fair, balanced and not misleading. On this episode, we learn more.
News Release
WASHINGTON—FINRA today released its 2020 Risk Monitoring and Examination Priorities Letter, highlighting new priorities as well as identifying areas of ongoing concern that FINRA will continue to focus on in the coming year.

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