FOCUS Reports Archives - MasterCompliance

A summary of requirements for Broker Dealers.

Financial Reporting for Broker Dealers

Posted on December 19, 2022 by SCM Communications

Financial Reporting for Broker Dealers. When you decide to enter the highly regulated broker dealer world, you must arrange to have the properly licensed people registered with your firm. One of those is a FINOP (Financial and Operations Principal). FINOP’s have either a Series 27 license or a Series 28 license. Your broker dealer’s FINOP is required to submit various regulatory filings to FINRA. Note that hiring a bookkeeper or a certified public accountant will not fulfill the requirement of having a licensed FINOP registered with your broker dealer. A new broker dealer, which is defined as a broker dealer Read more about Financial Reporting for Broker Dealers[…]

FINRA Report Filing Due Dates for 2022

Posted on December 3, 2021December 3, 2021 by admin

FINRA recently released a notice about 2022 and first quarter of 2023 FINRA Report Filing Due Dates to assist members in their financial reporting obligations for Annual Report, Financial and Operational Combined Uniform Single (FOCUS), Form Custody, and supplemental FOCUS Report filings. Remember that all filings submitted to FINRA must be made electronically through FINRA Gateway. Additionally, the SEC has adopted changes to FOCUS reporting requirements in connection with security-based swaps. Prior to implementation of the changes, FINRA will separately provide guidance and instructions for reporting through FINRA Gateway Annual Reports Members are required to file their Annual Report with Read more about FINRA Report Filing Due Dates for 2022[…]

FINRA Highlights Changes To eFOCUS Reporting Requirements For SBS Dealers

Posted on June 9, 2021June 9, 2021 by admin

In 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments that revise certain of the Financial and Operational Combined Uniform Single (FOCUS) reporting and annual report requirements that apply to brokers and dealers pursuant to SEA Rule 17a-5 to take account of security-based swap (SBS) activity. Further, as a result of these changes, to avoid duplication with the SEC’s new requirements, FINRA has revised the Supplemental Inventory Schedule (SIS) so that members that file the new FOCUS Report Part II, pursuant to the SEC’s amendments, will no longer need to file the SIS. The SEC’s new FOCUS reporting requirements, and the revised SIS, will apply beginning with FOCUS reports and SIS filings that report on the period ending October 31, 2021 and are required to be filed in November 2021. Additionally, FINRA has redesigned its eFOCUS filing system to add certain enhancements and features to improve members’ filing experience. Members that are quarterly filers may access the new system on FINRA Gateway beginning June 24, 2021. The new system will be made available to monthly filers beginning in July 2021.

Footnote 74 Under SEC’s Customer Protection Rule

Posted on December 24, 2020February 8, 2021 by SCM Communications

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) recently issued Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) concerning the exemption provisions of SEC Rule 15c3-3, the Customer Protection Rule. Prior to this guidance, even if they did not meet all requirements for (k)(2)(i) or (k)(2)(ii) on the FOCUS Report, firms were choosing to file for a (k)(2)(i) if they did not have custody. To address this issue, the SEC released footnote 74 to allow these “Non-Covered Firms” to properly file for exemption under Rule 15c3-3.

FINRA Report Filing Due Dates for 2021

Posted on December 17, 2020 by SCM Communications

FINRA recently released a notice about 2021 and first quarter of 2022 FINRA Report Filing Due Dates to assist members in their financial reporting obligations for Annual Report, Financial and Operational Combined Uniform Single (FOCUS), Form Custody, and supplemental FOCUS Report filings.

Highlights from FINRA Small Firm Conference Call: Part 2

Posted on April 29, 2020April 29, 2020 by SCM Communications

Earlier this month, FINRA hosted a Small Firm Conference Call to discuss updates and implications of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). If you were not able to listen to the call live, a replay recording is available on demand. This recording provides and discusses many highlights noted in the FAQs Related to Coronavirus Pandemic.