Guidance

Permissibility of electronic signatures under NASD Rules 3010(d) and 3110(c)(1)(C).

Proposed employee leasing arrangement does not violate Rule 2420.

Payments by an investment adviser to broker-dealers in the form of rights to receive cash compensation upon the occurrence of specific corporate events (e.g., initial public offering of shares of the adviser) do not constitute "non-cash compensation" under NASD Rule 2830(l).

The limited supervisory functions that can be properly delegated to registered representatives also may be assigned to persons registered as Foreign Associates under NASD Rule 1100. Foreign Associates, however, may not perform the functions that require a principal registration.

A broker/dealer cannot pay continuing commissions to a former registered representative who is no longer in the securities industry, unless such payments are made in reliance on an SEC no-action position addressing the permissibility of those payments under Section 15(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; under the facts presented, NASD IM-2420-2 did not apply.

May 9, 2001

Mr. John W. Marcus
Chairman
PIBC Securities LLC
640 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10019

Re: Exemption Request from Fidelity Bonding Requirements

Dear Mr. Marcus:

Application of NASD Rules 3370(b)(1) and 3370(b)(2)(A) to orders received by a Nasdaq market maker from other registered broker/dealers.

NASD Rule 3060(a) does not apply to reimbursements by a registered representative of his or her client's expenses when the reimbursement is unrelated to the business of the client's employer.

Rebate of SEC Rule 12b-1 fees and commissions to non-member retirement plan and its participants will not violate NASD Rule 2420 if the SEC determines that the rebate recipients are not required to register as broker/dealers.

Reminder that offerors may not pay for golf outings, tours or other forms of entertainment while at a meeting it sponsors for the purpose of training or education. This letter was sent by NASD Regulation to a number of members that manufacture and sponsor variable and investment company products and to certain trade associations.

Reminder that offerors may not pay for golf outings, tours or other forms of entertainment while at a meeting it sponsors for the purpose of training or education. This letter was sent by NASD Regulation to a number of members that manufacture and sponsor variable and investment company products and to certain trade associations.

A person who processes agency transactions by communicating all orders to another firm, which then calls or electronically communicates with the contra-side of the transaction, is not involved in the execution of transactions for purposes of Rule 1032(f) and thus is not required to be Series 55 registered.

NASD Regulation does not provide interpretive guidance on the appropriateness of a commission or mark-up schedule under Rule 2440, relating to fair prices and commissions, and the related mark-up policy, IM-2440. Further, NASD Regulation does not provide any assurance in the interpretive process that a firm's absolute reliance on a schedule for determining a commission or a mark-up is appropriate.

Secondary market trading in streetTracks Series Funds does not violate NASD Rules 2830(c) and (g).

Imposition of a fee to customers for redemption of mutual funds, where the fee initially is charged to the broker/dealer by clearing firms, is generally not prohibited under NASD rules if the fee is reasonable and customers are given adequate notice.