Change to New York IAR Registration

Change to New York IAR Registration

On December 1, 2020, the state of New York adopted new regulations that amended its Investment Advisory Act to require the registration of investment adviser representatives (“IAR”) including principals, supervisors, and solicitors through the WebCRD/IARD system. Prior to the rule change, New York was the only state that did not license IAR via the WebCRD/IARD system. The change to to New York IAR registration will go into effect on February 1, 2021 for all new registrants, and December 2, 2021 for any New York IARs already providing services, provided they apply for registration by August 31, 2021. The Amendments The Read more about Change to New York IAR Registration[…]

Exclusions from the Definition Investment Advisor
When Do You Have to Register as an Investment Adviser?

When Do You Have to Register as an Investment Adviser?

The Investment Advisers Act of 1940 defines an investment adviser as any person who, for compensation, engages in the business of advising others as too the value of securities or the advisability of investing in securities or, as part of regular business, issues analyses or reports concerning securities. So when do you have to register as an investment adviser? Any person who is considered an investment adviser will be subject to the Investment Adviser Act of 1940 and be required to register with either the SEC or the States. A person would be considered an investment adviser if they engaged in these three activities:

  • Provides investment advice, reports, or analysis with respect to securities;
  • Is in the business of providing advice or analysis; and
  • Receives compensation, directly or indirectly, for these services.

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Investment Advisor Representative Registration

Investment Advisor Representative Registration

Individuals looking to be in the business of giving investment advice for compensation will most likely need to register as an investment advisor representative (“IAR”). There are a couple of differences between becoming an IAR and a registered investment advisor(“RIA”). Most notably, only a natural person (a human being and not an entity) can be considered and IAR, and IARs never register with the SEC, only with the individual states. For an example of how to register with a state, check out the process for registering as an IAR with the state of Georgia on the Georgia Secretary of State’s website.

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NASAA’s New Rule on IAR CE

NASAA’s New Rule on IAR CE

The North American Securities Administrators Association (“NASAA”) recently adopted a new rule that will require Investment Advisor Representatives (“IARs”) to complete 12 credit hours of Continuing Education annually, 6 for IAR Ethics and Professional Responsibility Requirements and 6 for IAR Products and Practice Requirements. This will be the first time IARs have been subject to Continuing Education and as NASAA president Lisa A. Hopkins states, is intended to “promote heightened regulatory compliance while also helping investment adviser representatives better serve their clients by remaining knowledgeable of current regulatory requirements and best practices.”

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NASAA Proposes Information Security Rule for RIAs

The North American Securities Administrators Association, Inc. (“NASAA”) is requesting public comment regarding a proposed model rule for information security and privacy for registered investment advisers (RIAs) under the Uniform Securities Acts Of 1956 And 2002. NASSA has been actively working on addressing various investment adviser-related cybersecurity concerns and desires for several years and has identified a significant need for more information and tools regarding cybersecurity.

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