Registration Filing in FINRA Gateway

Announcements

August 29, 2022^_New

Sensitive Data Warnings in Form U4 and Form U5

Form U4 and Form U5 now display warnings when sensitive information is detected in fields where it isn’t required or expected. Individuals entering information into these forms—both in FINRA Gateway as well as with the Allow Rep Edits feature in FinPro—may encounter these warnings.

This new sensitive data detection functionality supports FINRA’s ongoing efforts to help firms and registered professionals meet compliance requirements by making it easier to protect personal information in registration form filings. More information about this new enhancement is provided below.

Note: Sensitive data detection and warnings are not available to filings made via the Web EFT service.

How It Works

Warnings will appear in the completeness check section of the form when FINRA’s system detects sensitive data in fields where it isn’t required. In particular, the system will scan for the following types of data:

Social Security number (SSN),
date of birth,
credit card number,
account number, or
health information.

Filers can click on the warning to navigate to the relevant field and assess whether anything should be updated or removed. If the identified text is modified or deleted, the warning will no longer appear in the completeness check section. However, it is not required to resolve warnings before submitting the filing. If warnings remain when the filing is submitted, users will see a final reminder message about the potentially sensitive data in fields that may be publicly disclosed.

Questions and Feedback

This enhancement was developed thanks to feedback from industry stakeholders. We encourage you to reach out with suggestions and questions about these warnings (as well as other features) through FINRA Gateway’s Support feature, the feedback link in the FinPro system, or via email:

April 5, 2022

System Notifications Tracking Report Available April 5

Effective April 5, firms can use the Notifications Tracking Report in FINRA Gateway to monitor auto-generated system email notifications, including FinPro's optional Regulatory Element CE email notifications. The report includes many data points requested by firms, including email addresses, email subject, date sent, and the date an email was opened.

For more information about opting in to and monitoring CE email notifications, see the Firm Settings Guide.

January 24, 2022

Form BR Available in the FINRA Gateway

Firms can now complete Form BR filings directly via the FINRA Gateway. Initial branch filings can be started from the Firm Profile. To amend or close an existing branch, the firm should access the form via the related Branch Profile page. Firms can use either the new or the classic experience until May 1, 2022. Watch a recording of a webinar held in December 2021 to learn about key features of the enhanced filing process.

September 27, 2021 (Updated September 30)

New FinPro Features Available in FINRA Gateway

Firms can now enable two new optional features in FINRA Gateway's Firm Settings. Registered securities professionals with FinPro accounts can now receive auto-generated email reminders about their regulatory element Continuing Education (CE) requirement as well as electronically sign Form U4 filings. Learn more about these features below.

Note: FinPro users are no longer able to type their names in the signature fields with the Allow Rep Edits feature. Firms must now enable the E-Signature feature to grant FinPro users access to the signature page. See the Firm Settings Guide for more information.

CE Notifications

FINRA Gateway users who are entitled to the Firm Settings feature can now opt in to system-generated CE notifications. These email notifications are the first to be supported by FINRA's modernized system notification functionality. Notifications will be sent via email to registered FinPro users according to the frequency selected by their firm(s). Firms are encouraged to input a firm contact email address to receive a copy of the notifications being sent.

E-Signature

This past March, FINRA's Rule 1010 was modified, paving the way for broker-dealers to collect electronic signatures on Form U4 filings in lieu of manual signatures. As part of this change, FINRA also updated its COVID-19 relief FAQ, stating that firms could obtain electronic signatures on any Form U4 filings that were submitted without signatures, consistent with COVID-19 relief.

On September 25, FINRA released an optional FINRA Gateway and FinPro capability, which allows firms to collect electronic signatures as part of the Form U4 filing process. This optional feature allows registered securities professionals and their firms to collaborate on a Form U4 submission without printing, scanning, or performing any other work outside of these secure systems. Firms can manage and monitor electronically signed filings with the FINRA Gateway Reports and Requests features.

Storage and retention of any signed Form U4 filings will continue to be a firm responsibility. However, FINRA is pursuing the necessary regulatory approvals that would allow firms to rely on FINRA to store and retain Form U4 filings signed with FINRA's e-signature capability.

Any questions can be directed to Noah Egorin and James Parks via email.

See the Firm Setting Guide to learn how to take advantage of these optional features.

July 22, 2021

Classic CRD and Firm Gateway Features Retiring August 21

On August 21, 2021, the following features in the Classic CRD system will be retired:

View Individual
View Organization
Branch Composite View
Individual Search
Branch Search (also known as Organization Search)
Form U5 Filing capabilities
Several Classic CRD Reports

Classic CRD queues (including disclosure letters) and all other current Classic CRD functionality will continue to be supported. See the CRD Is Moving to FINRA Gateway page for more information.

Prominent links will be available in Classic CRD to navigate between FINRA Gateway and Classic CRD functionality to perform registration compliance work. FINRA encourages firms to use FINRA Gateway and provide feedback as we work toward developing and refining functionality.

FINRA staff will discuss and demonstrate the August 21 system changes in two upcoming Move Over, Firm Gateway: What to Expect on August 21, 2021 webinars. Register to attend and check back for the recording and presentation slides that will be made available in the weeks following the webinar.

April 30, 2021

Form U5, Disclosure Letters and Reports

Several features in the Classic CRD system are scheduled to partially or completely retire on August 21, 2021. More information about these system changes is provided below:

Individual Disclosure Letters

Enhanced individual disclosure letters will become available in FINRA Gateway Requests May 1. With this launch, firms will be able to respond to letters and upload relevant documents within the system. Additionally, more information will be included in the summary disclosure letter display, including a response deadline. The ability to view disclosure letters in Classic CRD will be retired no earlier than August 21.

FINRA encourages firms to begin using this feature and provide feedback to FINRA while disclosure letters are accessible in both Classic CRD and FINRA Gateway for the next several months. Adjustments to work processes may be required to prepare for the transition from Classic CRD to FINRA Gateway. For example, firms that currently send consolidated responses to FINRA that include information for multiple individuals should be mindful that FINRA Gateway will not support similar bulk upload procedures.

Form U5

On May 17, firms can begin using the enhanced Form U5 filing experience in FINRA Gateway. Filers will be notified on the summary page if the individual has other relationships with the firm that may also require updating. If necessary, the enhanced filing experience will also automatically update the U5 filing type according to information provided in the draft. The ability to draft and submit Form U5 in Classic CRD will remain available through August 21, 2021.

Reports

Classic CRD Reports will be updated in the coming weeks to include links to several corresponding report templates in FINRA Gateway. FINRA encourages firms to test out these templates and send feedback through the FINRA Gateway system. On August 21, reports in Classic CRD with a link to a FINRA Gateway template will be retired and no longer available to run or view. All other reports in Classic CRD will remain available until a retirement date is set and announced.

FINRA will continue to publish updates in this space as information becomes available about the transition of registration filing activities from Classic CRD to FINRA Gateway. Additional information about managing registration compliance work in both systems can be found on the CRD is Moving to FINRA Gateway page, and recordings from recent webinars about these system features will be made available shortly on the Registration System Changes Webinar Series page.

March 17, 2021

Form U4, Form U5 and Disclosure Letters

Several significant registration filing milestones will occur over the coming weeks:

Form U4

The ability to file Form U4 in Classic CRD will retire April 5. All other system functionality will remain available, and firms are not required to recreate Form U4 filings that were already submitted. Form U4 drafts in Classic CRD must be submitted on or before April 4; otherwise, they will be invalidated on April 5. Read-only versions of these invalidated drafts will be made available April 5 through May 15.

The Anonymous CRD Registered Representative site used to collaborate on Form U4 filings enabled with the Allow Rep Edits feature will also retire April 5, and Form U4 collaboration will be performed exclusively through FINRA Gateway and FinPro. For more information, see the Form U4 page and February 2021 Enhanced Form U4 Webinar Recording.

Form U5

Starting May 17, firms can begin drafting and submitting Form U5 in FINRA Gateway. Form U5 filing functionality will be supported in Classic CRD for several months and will retire no earlier than August 21, 2021. Firms are encouraged to begin using FINRA Gateway to draft Form U5 and provide feedback about the feature to FINRA.

To learn more, please see the Form U5 page and register to attend a 30-minute webinar on April 8.

Disclosure Letters

Disclosure letters will become available in FINRA Gateway Requests May 1. FINRA encourages firms to begin using this feature and provide feedback to FINRA while disclosure letters are accessible in both Classic CRD and FINRA Gateway for the next several months. The ability to view disclosure letters in Classic CRD will be retired no earlier than August 21.

To learn more, register to attend the upcoming webinar on April 1.

January 21, 2021

Classic CRD Form U4 Retires April 5; Upcoming FINRA Gateway U4 Enhancements

Starting April 5, 2021, firms will be required to draft and submit Form U4 in FINRA Gateway. All other functionality within Classic CRD will remain supported. Firms that have not yet begun using FINRA Gateway to draft Form U4 are encouraged to do so. The Anonymous CRD Registered Representative site used to collaborate on Form U4 filings enabled with the Allow Rep Edits feature will also retire April 5, and Form U4 collaboration will be performed exclusively through FINRA Gateway and FinPro.

Additionally, several enhancements will be made to the FINRA Gateway Form U4 functionality over the next several weeks:

Available January 23:

Draft Redlining: filers can use this feature to track differences between a draft Form U4 and the most recent submission on file for an individual.
Print by Section: firms will be able to select the part(s) of the form they want included in a pdf or hard copy version of the draft.
Allow Rep Edits & Other Feedback-Based Updates: thanks to input from firms, additional improvements will also be made to the following items:
- Allow Rep Edits workflow,
- keyboard navigation between form fields, and
- branch search while assigning an office location.

Coming Soon:

Amend Archived Disclosure: FINRA Gateway will soon offer self-service retrieval of archived disclosure. Once available, firms will be able to update information without a support call or ticket.

More information about these and other system updates will be made available on the FINRA Gateway Release Notes page.

Form U4 resources, including webinar recordings, are available within the FINRA Gateway system as well as the new Form U4 page. We will continue to update firms on future Classic CRD functionality retirements in the coming months.

December 24, 2020

Classic CRD Form U4 Filing Capabilities Will Retire April 2021

Form U4 filing is available in both FINRA Gateway and Classic CRD. The Classic CRD Form U4 filing experience will be retired no earlier than April 5, 2021. As previously mentioned, firms are encouraged to prepare for the retirement of Classic CRD Form U4 filing capabilities by beginning to use the Form U4 filing functionality in FINRA Gateway now and providing feedback about their filing experience.

Firms that use the Allow Rep Edits feature should be aware that the Anonymous CRD Registered Representative site, along with its required reference code, will also retire in April. All Form U4 collaboration will be performed exclusively through the enhanced Allow Rep Edits feature in FinPro.

Information and resources for all three systems are available on the new Form U4 page, and additional support is available within the FINRA Gateway system. All other functionality within Classic CRD will remain supported and we will continue to update firms on future Classic CRD functionality retirements in the coming months.

November 18, 2020

Initial and Amendment Form U4 Filing Now Available in FINRA Gateway

On October 31, 2020, initial and amendment Form U4 filing functionality was released in FINRA Gateway. Additional Form U4 filing types will be made available November 21. We encourage firms to begin using the new online filing experience in FINRA Gateway and provide feedback while Form U4 is still available in Classic CRD. This implementation strategy is intended to provide sufficient flexibility for firms to test and transition to the new filing experience. Although firms can draft filings in both Classic CRD and FINRA Gateway, please be aware that a pending Form U4 can only be accessed on the platform that was used to initiate it.

September 2020

Important Update Regarding the Form U4 Online Filing Experience

As part of our phased approach to building FINRA Gateway, we’ve actively sought firm feedback on how to improve the new compliance platform. Based on some of that feedback and in our continued efforts to deliver the most positive user experience, we are adjusting the previously announced launch of the online filing experience for Form U4 from October 5to October 31. To support firm user transition, we will continue to offer current Classic CRD form filing functionality for an extended period of time after October 31.

Beginning October 31, FINRA Gateway users will be able to choose the new online filing experience for initial U4s and amendment U4s. All U4 filing types will continue to be available via Classic CRD. Once available, we encourage firms to use the new online filing experience in FINRA Gateway and provide us feedback as we work toward providing additional functionality.

Later in the year, firms will be able to submit the remaining U4 filing types (Relicense, Dual, Page 2, Concurrence) using the new online filing experience. All U4 filing types will still continue to be available via Classic CRD. We are planning to retire online filing of Form U4 in Classic CRD in the first quarter of 2021, and we will continue to collect feedback and work with firms to identify the retirement date of that functionality. Once a date is identified, FINRA will provide advance notice to firms (no less than 90 days).

We believe that this approach will provide firms flexibility and enable a successful transition to the new filing experience.

See the Registration System Changes Webinar Series page for more information about this and other relevant topics. For questions, please see below or contact [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the objective of FINRA's filing experience enhancements?
FINRA is developing filing experience enhancements to make it easier for registration compliance staff and registered representatives to meet filing requirements. These improvements will encourage more accurate, complete and timely submissions, thereby reducing unnecessary (and sometimes costly) resubmissions. Additionally, the investing public who look to BrokerCheck and IAPD for registration information will benefit from more complete and accurate data.

2. What has changed with the enhanced U4 and U5 in FINRA Gateway? How does the enhanced experience compare to the classic experience?
The legal forms have not changed. Instead, FINRA has focused on improving aspects of the online filing experience for system users. See the Comparing Classic and Enhanced U4 Experiences and Comparing Classic and Enhanced U5 Experiences guides for more information.

Additionally, firms can now enable an optional feature in the Firm Settings section of FINRA Gateway that allows FinPro users to electronically sign Form U4 filings. See the Firm Settings Guide to learn how to enable and use FINRA's E-Signature feature.

3. How do I start a U4 or U5 filing in FINRA Gateway?
Begin by searching for an individual in FINRA Gateway and then viewing their profile. The Actions section of the individual’s profile will contain links for the filing types that are available for that person. For individuals not already associated with your firm, use the Pre-Registration search option in FINRA Gateway.

4. Where can I see pending filings using the new online filing experience in FINRA Gateway?
Draft U4 and U5 filings created in FINRA Gateway can be accessed in the Requests feature in FINRA Gateway. You can also see any pending filings in the Drafts section of an individual’s profile.

5. Where can I see submitted filings (filing history)?
All submitted filings, regardless of where the filing was created, will continue to be available in the individual’s filing history in Classic CRD. Similar functionality is being developed for the FINRA Gateway Profiles feature and will become available soon. See the CRD is Moving to FINRA Gateway page for more dates and details.

6. How do I work simultaneously with my representatives on U4 filings using the Allow Rep Edits feature?
Firms can enable the Allow Rep Edits feature in FINRA Gateway so that individuals can work simultaneously on U4 filings through FinPro. The Allow Rep Edits feature was improved for firms and individuals alike as part of the Form U4 enhancements. The Enhanced Form U4 Filing Experience Summary of Changes and Form U4 in FinPro pages explain how to enable and use Allow Rep Edits in FINRA Gateway and FinPro.

7. How do I take advantage of FINRA’s new E-Signature feature?
The E-Signature feature can be enabled in the Firm Settings section of FINRA Gateway. See the Firm Settings Guide for more information.

8. What is the impact to automated U4 and U5 submissions through Web EFT?
There are no changes to Web EFT schemas or technical specifications.

9. Will FINRA provide a similar parallel process for the introduction of other CRD forms?
When possible, other CRD forms will be released in FINRA Gateway in a similar fashion (i.e., firms can submit filings in both Classic CRD and FINRA Gateway during a transition period). Details will be provided as additional forms are developed for FINRA Gateway.