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Guidance

We offer guidance to firms in the form of podcasts, webinars, FAQs, reports, and more. Use the toggle below to find guidance by topic, type or date. 

5 A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T V
Guidance
FINRA poses several questions for firms to consider as they evaluate whether their supervisory systems are reasonably designed to address risks of their SPAC-related activities. These questions are based on FINRA’s observations to this point in our review. In addition, the Appendix notes additional guidance FINRA has provided regarding member firms’ relevant obligations.
October 02, 2023
Arbitration and Mediation
The Neutral Corner - Volume 3—2023
September 29, 2023
Guidance
The Cyber and Analytics Unit (CAU) within FINRA’s Member Supervision program is highlighting the new SEC rules on Cybersecurity Risk Management, Strategy, Governance, and Incident Disclosure that were adopted on July 26, 2023. The SEC adopted final rules requiring disclosure of material cybersecurity incidents on Form 8-K and periodic disclosure of a registrant’s cybersecurity risk management, strategy and governance in annual reports.
September 21, 2023
Media Center
In this third and final episode in our series covering FINRA's ongoing crypto asset regulatory work, we hear from FINRA's Blockchain Lab, which serves as a central point within FINRA for the development of blockchain-related regulatory initiatives to learn about how the Lab is supporting and advancing FINRA's regulatory work involving crypto assets.
September 19, 2023
Guidance
FINRA is highlighting a recent joint Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cybersecurity Advisory published on August 30, 2023, which may be updated as new intelligence is uncovered.
August 31, 2023
Guidance
FINRA is highlighting a recent Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Flash published on August 23, 2023. According to the FBI Flash, all exploited Barracuda Email Security Gateway (ESG) appliances, even those with up-to-date security patches, remain at risk for continued computer network compromise from threat actors exploiting a zero-day vulnerability documented in CVE-2023-2868. 
August 28, 2023
Guidance

Summary

FINRA has adopted amendments to its Codes of Arbitration Procedure (Codes) to modify the process relating to requests to expunge customer dispute information in the FINRA Dispute Resolution Services (DRS) arbitration forum.

August 11, 2023
Media Center
In 2022, FINRA developed an enterprise-wide strategy to ensure it is prepared for an evolving crypto asset regulatory landscape and created the Crypto Hub, the Blockchain Lab and the Crypto Asset Investigations Team. On this episode, the first in a three-part series, we learn more about the strategy and the role of the Hub.
August 08, 2023
Board of Governors Meeting
During its July 12 and 13 meeting, the FINRA Board of Governors Re-elected Eric Noll as chair, re-appointed public governors Deborah Bailey, Lisa Fairfax and Maureen Jensen, and approved three rulemaking items.
July 19, 2023
Arbitration and Mediation
The Neutral Corner - Volume 2—2023
July 06, 2023
Guidance
FINRA Rule 4230(a) requires clearing firms for which FINRA is the designated examining authority pursuant to SEA Rule 17d-1 to submit requests for extensions of time as contemplated by Regulation T of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Regulation T) and SEA Rule 15c3-3(n) to FINRA for approval.
June 30, 2023
Guidance
List of extension reason codes with summary information and filing details.
June 30, 2023
Guidance
FINRA Rule 4230(a) requires clearing firms for which FINRA is the designated examining authority pursuant to SEA Rule 17d-1 to submit requests for extensions of time as contemplated by Regulation T of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System1 ("Regulation T") and SEA Rule 15c3-3(n)2 to FINRA for approval.
June 30, 2023
Report / Study
June 23, 2023
Guidance

Impact: All Firms

Update (June 22, 2023): The link to the Advisory issued by CISA on June 7, 2023 has been updated to reflect CISA’s current guidance.

Firms should review this information with any vendors who provide information technology services to the firm.

June 16, 2023
Guidance

Impact: All Firms

Firms without dedicated information security professionals may wish to review this information with any vendors who provide those services to the firm.

June 15, 2023
Guidance
Beginning Monday, November 6, 2023, FINRA will require firms to report transactions in U.S. dollar-denominated foreign sovereign debt securities to TRACE.
June 01, 2023
About FINRA

FINRA is a not-for-profit, self-regulatory organization (SRO) dedicated to promoting investor protection and market integrity in a manner that facilitates vibrant capital markets. One of FINRA’s tools for achieving this objective is fair and effective enforcement of member firms’ compliance with securities laws and regulations.

May 31, 2023
Board of Governors Meeting
During its May 17 and 18 meeting, the FINRA Board of Governors appointed new public governor Lisa Fairfax, approved FINRA’s 2022 Annual Financial Report and appointed new members to FINRA Advisory Committees.
May 25, 2023
Guidance

A clearing member may use negative response letters to assign orphan accounts to an introducing broker-dealer on the clearing member’s platform.


Dear Ms. Dyer:

I am responding to your letter dated March 10, 2023, as supplemented by conversations with the staff, in which you seek interpretive guidance regarding the use of negative response letters by National Financial Services LLC (“NFS”) to assign certain orphan brokerage accounts to an introducing broker-dealer that clears through NFS (the “Receiving Broker-Dealer”).

April 26, 2023
Guidance

Overview

This publication outlines emerging insider threat risks and helps member firms identify, prevent, detect, and respond to these threats, including:

April 18, 2023
Guidance

Impact: All Firms

This notification is to warn member firms of an ongoing phishing campaign that involves fraudulent emails purporting to be from FINRA and using the domain names “@finrarps.org” or “@finrarps.net”. The domains of “finrarps.org” and “finrarps.net” are not connected to FINRA, and firms should delete all emails originating from these domains. Member firms should be aware that they may receive similar phishing emails from other domain names in addition to those identified in this Alert.

The email from “finrarps.org” states:

April 04, 2023
Arbitration and Mediation
The Neutral Corner - Volume 1—2023
March 20, 2023
Board of Governors Meeting
FINRA’s Board of Governors met on March 9 and 10, and it approved a proposal to shorten the securities settlement cycle from two business days after the trade date (T+2) to one (T+1) and approved the allocation of 2022 fine monies to various capital initiatives.
March 15, 2023
Guidance
This follow-up to the September 2021 targeted exam (sweep) of firms’ practices related to their acquisition of customers through social media channels and their sharing of customers’ usage information with affiliates and non-affiliated third parties summarizes selected practices FINRA has observed firms implement to this point in the sweep.
February 28, 2023