SEC Takes Action Against Adviser for Defrauding Retirees and Investors Nearing Retirement

On December 19, 2019, the SEC filed a complaint in federal court against a Sacramento, California-based investment advisory firm and its owner. The complaint alleged that the Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) and its owner defrauded hundreds of retail clients, most...

New SEC Risk Alert Identifies Most Frequent Advertising Rule Compliance Issues

On September 14, 2017, the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”) published a Risk Alert, which revealed the most frequent advertising rule compliance issues identified in OCIE examinations of Registered Investment Advisers (“RIAs”). OCIE’s...

SEC Publishes Its 2017 Compliance Priorities

Each year, the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) publishes its priorities, and 2017 is no exception. On January 12, 2017, OCIE announced its examination priorities. Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs) and other financial entities will...

RIA Disciplined For Failure to Conduct Annual Reviews

The SEC recently imposed sanctions on a Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) in Lexington, Kentucky, because it failed to conduct the required annual review of the firm’s policies and procedures. The firm also ignored its compliance manual, which stipulated that the RIA would conduct those annual reviews.