Welcome to the new FINRA.org. Learn more about our updates.
Create your own user feedback survey

Guidance

We offer guidance to firms in the form of podcasts, webinars, FAQs, reports, and more. Use the toggle below to find guidance by topic, type or date. 

A B C D E F G I L M N O P Q R S T V

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

I

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

V

Podcast
Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Stay Connected and Protected
In an era when much of our lives happen online, cybersecurity is more important than ever. But what do you do to protect your personal information? We all have a role to play in keeping ourselves secure. This National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, tune in to learn more about how you can keep yourself, your family and your clients safe online.
October 23, 2018
Video
September 2018 Board Update
Watch the video report featuring highlights from the September 2018 Board of Governors meeting and read FINRA President and CEO Robert Cook’s email to firms.
October 05, 2018
Exemptive Letter
Mr. Patrick Basilice, Chief Compliance Officer, Euronext Synapse LLC
Application for Exemptive Relief from Trade Reporting Obligation for Certain Transactions on an Alternative Trading System
October 01, 2018
Email to Firms
Upcoming Board Meeting
The FINRA Board of Governors meets this week in New York. Read President and CEO Robert Cook’s email to firms previewing the agenda.
September 25, 2018
Guidance
New and Pending Member Firms: Filing Communications with the Advertising Regulation Department
New member firms must file certain retail communications prior to first use with FINRA’s Advertising Regulation Department. A retail communication, as defined in FINRA Rule 2210, means any written (including electronic) communication that is distributed or made available to more than 25 retail investors within any 30 calendar-day period.
September 17, 2018
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (TRACE)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) covering reporting of corporate and agencies debt, reporting of mortgage and asset backed securities to the Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (TRACE)
September 14, 2018
Report / Study
Technology Based Innovations for Regulatory Compliance (“RegTech”) in the Securities Industry

Technology Based Innovations for Regulatory Compliance in the Securities Industry outlines recent regulatory technology (RegTech) developments within the securities industry and potential opportunities and implications these technologies may have for broker-dealers.

September 10, 2018
Report / Study
Technology Based Innovations for Regulatory Compliance ("Reg Tech") in the Securities Industry
September 10, 2018
Compliance Tools
Small Firms Information
FINRA has created this page to provide information for the small firm community—those firms with 150 or fewer registered representatives. This page contains current and past communications, links of interest to small firms, and other information.
August 01, 2018
Compliance Tools
FINRA Small Firm Helpline

A resource where small broker-dealer firms can get help navigating FINRA’s systems and resources.

Call (833) 26-FINRA (833-263-4672)
Monday – Friday
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern Time

As part of our ongoing efforts to provide support for small firms, and in response to the FINRA Special Notice on Engagement and FINRA360, FINRA developed the Small Firm Helpline to assist broker-dealers that need general help navigating FINRA’s systems and resources.

July 30, 2018
Get Involved
Upcoming Board Meeting
The FINRA Board of Governors meets this week for the third time in 2018. Read President and CEO Robert Cook’s email to firms previewing the agenda.
July 16, 2018
Podcast
What is FINRA’s Dispute Resolution forum?
What is FINRA’s Dispute Resolution forum? How might I end up with a case in arbitration or mediation? What does the process look like? FINRA’s Head of Dispute Resolution, Rick Berry, answers these questions and more in this episode of FINRA Unscripted.
June 19, 2018
Podcast
ERI: Introducing FINRA’s Weatherman
FINRA can’t predict the future, but like a weatherman, it can make predictions based on circumstances that exist today. FINRA’s Office of Emerging Regulatory Issues (ERI) looks to predict what storms may be brewing in the securities market and what areas they are likely to impact.
June 05, 2018
Guidance
Phone-In Workshop and WebEx Presentation Recording: Markup/Markdown Analysis Report
In the near-future, FINRA is introducing a new TRACE Markup/Markdown Analysis Report on the Report Center. The report displays a firm's markup and markdown behavior compared to the industry and provides the underlying details used to calculate the markup or markdown.
May 23, 2018
Email to Firms
Upcoming Board Meeting
The FINRA Board of Governors meets this week for the first time in 2018. Read President and CEO Robert Cook’s email to firms previewing the agenda.
May 07, 2018
Guidance
Amy Natterson Kroll, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
The staff granted an exemption from FINRA Rule 5130 with respect to purchases of “new issues” by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
April 16, 2018
Interpretive Letter
Interpretive letter to Joan E. Boros, Esq., Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
A member firm may include related performance information in institutional communications concerning variable contracts, subject to the stated conditions discussed in the letter.
April 16, 2018
Compliance Tools
Large Options Positions Reports

Large Options Positions Report (LOPR) – Listed
FINRA is providing Listed LOPR exceptions from FINRA’s Listed LOPR Audit Exception Report. The LOPR Listed report contains three types of exceptions for exchange-traded options: The Effective Date, LOPR Reporting Exceptions and In-Concert Exceptions.

April 11, 2018
Targeted Examination Letter
Targeted Examination Letter on VIX-Linked Product Review
FINRA’s Member Regulation department is conducting a review with respect to products linked to the CBOE’s Volatility Index (VIX). The review will focus on the supervisory processes followed by firms to identify and mitigate sales practice risks associated with recommendations to non-institutional purchasers of VIX-linked products.
April 09, 2018
Guidance
TRACE Price on Client Confirmations Policy

On May 14, 2018, amendments to FINRA Rule 2232 will take effect, which require a member firm to disclose on the customer confirmation the amount of mark-up or mark-down it applies for certain trades with retail customers in corporate or agency debt securities. Disclosed mark-ups must be calculated consistent with existing Rule 2121.

April 03, 2018
Investor Education
Put Your Tax Refund to Work With These 5 Tips
About 70 percent of Americans expect to receive a tax refund this year. If you are one of them, FINRA’s senior vice president of Investor Education Gerri Walsh has some tips on how you can put that cash to work for you.
March 13, 2018
Guidance
Phone-In Workshop and WebEx Presentation Recording: Cross-Market Equity Supervision Report Cards

Original Program Date: Thursday, December 14, 2017
4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET

FINRA hosted a phone-in workshop and WebEx presentation in December 2017 to introduce the Cross Market Equities Supervision: Potential ATS Cross Manipulation and Cross Market Equities Supervision: Potential Auto Execution Manipulation Report Cards. These two Report Cards became available on the FINRA Report Center in early January.

February 05, 2018
Guidance
Protecting Personal Information in Registration Form Filings

Firms and associated persons are required to provide complete, up-to-date and accurate information on registration forms (e.g., Form BD, Form U4, Form U5 and other forms) (“Filings”). Some of the information required to complete these Filings is personal information. Please review the guidance provided on this page on how to protect this information.

January 11, 2018
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding FINRA Rules Relating to Financial Exploitation of Senior Investors
In February 2017, the SEC approved: (1) the adoption of new FINRA Rule 2165 (Financial Exploitation of Specified Adults) to permit members to place temporary holds on disbursements of funds or securities from the accounts of specified customers where there is a reasonable belief of financial exploitation of these customers; and (2) amendments to FINRA Rule 4512 (Customer Account Information) to require members to make reasonable efforts to obtain the name of and contact information for a trusted contact person (“trusted contact”) for a customer’s account. New Rule 2165 and the amendments to Rule 4512 become effective February 5, 2018.
January 03, 2018
Podcast
FINRA Unscripted: A Leader’s View on Investor Education with Gerri Walsh, FINRA Foundation President
Can financial mistakes lead to a life of helping others? What should you do before you invest? How can you avoid being scammed? Hear the answers when Gerri Walsh, President of the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, talks with FINRA’s Kenneth Edward Piner about her own financial journey.
December 21, 2017