Previously on the MasterCompliance blog, we covered When Do You Have to Register as an Investment Advisor and Exclusions from the Definition Investment Advisor. This Blog will discuss when a person does meet the definition of an investment advisor under the Investment Act of 1940, but is exempt from registration.
Previously we covered Investment Advisor Registration in our blog When Do You Have to Register as an Investment Adviser?, discussing what the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 defines as an investment advisor and what triggers the registration requirements. In this blog, we will focus on the exclusions from the definition of investment advisor at the federal and state level.
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:
The Successor Rules for registered investment advisers in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 allows for the legitimate transfer business between two or more entities. Succession can occur when one entity acquires substantially all of the assets and liabilities of an existing RIA, and is able to rely on a predecessor’s registration as an investment adviser with the SEC. In a guidance update, the SEC defines the instances where succession is applicable: A change of the state or territory in which a business is organized and/or a change in its form of organization; A change in control or a change Read more about Successor Rules for Registered Investment Advisers[…]
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.
The SEC released updates to Form CRS in 2020 with additions to their Form CRS FAQ, this time focusing on the Disciplinary History section. After so many updates, it is a good idea to go back through to refresh your memory.