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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. 

5 A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T V
Regulatory and Compliance Alerts (RCA)
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March 31, 1995
Regulatory and Compliance Alerts (RCA)
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January 01, 1995
Regulatory and Compliance Alerts (RCA)
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October 01, 1994
Interpretive Letter
The applicability of Section 40 (Rule 3040) to situations in which a financial plan is delivered to a customer without an execution of a securities transaction.
September 27, 1994
Interpretive Letter

Requirements under NASD Rule 3030 (formerly Article III, Section 43) for investment seminar activities conducted by dually registered persons that charge fees from participants.

September 15, 1994
Interpretive Letter

Clarification of NASD Notice to Members 94-44 to situations in which a dually registered person maintains discretionary trading authority, determines portfolio changes, and prepares trade instructions for customer accounts and charges the accounts an asset-based fee.

August 05, 1994
Regulatory and Compliance Alerts (RCA)
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June 01, 1994
Regulatory and Compliance Alerts (RCA)
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March 01, 1994
Interpretive Letter
Suitability responsibilities of a discount broker/dealer when a customer is trading in options contracts (under former Article III, Section 2, now Rule 2310).
May 18, 1993
Interpretive Letter

Whether a proposed standby purchase agreement entered into between affiliate of a member and an issuer in connection with a public offering of the issuer's common stock could constitute an option.

February 24, 1993
Interpretive Letter
Application of NASD Notice to Members 90-52 to member firms that do not recommend securities transactions to their customers, but limit their business to accepting unsolicited orders from customers (under former Article III, Section 2, now Rule 2310).
November 13, 1990
Interpretive Letter

Cash rebates issued to pension plan customers with respect to secondary market transactions in outstanding securities (under former Article III, Section 24, now Rule 2740 and IM-2740).

December 22, 1988
FAQ
Following are "Frequently Asked Questions" regarding the Order Audit Trail System (OATS).

FAQ
The following frequently asked questions provide information about the Central Registration Depository (CRD).

Compliance Tools

The Daily Total Summary Data and Detail Data Download files for the OATS Compliance Report Card provide underlying totals and detail of the data contained in the monthly summary OATS Compliance Report Card.

The tables below represent the data within the Daily Totals Summary Report Card and the Detail Data Download files.

Summary Definitions and Data Fields

Term

Definition


Guidance
The interpretations offer guidance to assist firms in complying with FINRA Rule 4210.

Compliance Tools
A one-stop source for connecting firms with vendors that specialize in compliance-related offerings

About FINRA

FINRA360 has yielded a number of organizational and operational changes aimed at making FINRA a more efficient, more effective regulator.


FAQ
Following are "Frequently Asked Questions" regarding the Order Audit Trail System (OATS).

FAQ
1. What is the Form BR? Form BR is the Uniform Branch Office Registration form that enables firms to "register" or "notice file" branch offices electronically through FINRA Gateway with FINRA, the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (NYSE) and other participating jurisdictions.

2019 Exam Findings Report

Regulatory Obligations

FINRA Rule 2090 (Know Your Customer) requires member firms and their associated persons to use reasonable diligence to determine the “essential facts” about every customer and “the authority of each person acting on behalf of such customer.” Regulatory Notice 11-02 (SEC Approves Consolidated FINRA Rules Governing Know-Your-Customer and Suitability Obligations) advised that firms verify the essential facts about a customer “at intervals reasonably cal


Compliance Tools

The Municipal Primary Offering Disclosure Report displays statistics about transactions your firm effected with customers during the securities’ Primary Offering Disclosure Period. This report is designed to aid firms in monitoring their compliance with Rule G-32(a) customer disclosure requirements, which apply to all broker-dealers selling offered municipal securities.


FAQ
Prospective FINRA member firms must seek approval for new FINRA membership through the submission of a New Membership Application (NMA or Form NMA) in accordance with FINRA Rule 1013 (New Member Application and Interview). Existing FINRA member firms that are contemplating a material change in ownership, control, or business operations must submit a Continuing Membership Application (CMA or Form CMA) in accordance with FINRA Rule 1017 (Application for Approval of Change in Ownership, Control, or Business Operations). Both types of applications are reviewed by FINRA’s Membership Application Program (MAP) Group.

FAQ
Frequently asked questions about FINRA BrokerCheck, a free tool for researching brokers, brokerage firms, investment advisers & investment adviser firms.

Events & Training

FINRA recently released a number of Regulatory Notices that support the effort to modernize rules for member firms and associated persons. This webinar is designed to review the comment process, assist firms with how to comment and provide what type of information is helpful to receive in comments. FINRA staff share examples of the impact of comment letters and how they were used.