Guidance

1. How do I submit form filings to CRD?

Background

FINRA promotes the capital-raising process through appropriately tailored rules that are designed to promote transparency and to establish important standards of conduct for the benefit of all market participants, including investors and issuers participating in offerings.

Question 1

Does FINRA Rule 3210 impose any requirement as to what specific information or data an employer member must review or monitor upon receiving duplicate copies of confirmations and statements, or the transactional data contained therein, with respect to an account subject to the rule?

Answer

The TRACE Quality of Markets Report Card for Treasuries is a monthly status report for treasuries transactions that a firm reported to the Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (TRACE). Firms are required to report trades in accordance with established FINRA rules and regulations. Firms should make no inference that the staff of FINRA has or has not determined that the information contained on the TRACE Quality of Markets Report Card does or does not constitute rule violations.

Overview

The following tool identifies key cybersecurity risks currently facing small firms and helps them enhance their customer information protection, and cybersecurity written supervisory programs (WSPs) and related controls, including:

1. Where can I access a list describing the exams listed in CRD?

A listing of the exams available in CRD can be found on the Qualification Exams page.

2. How long is an exam window in CRD?

Exam windows are valid for 120 days. Provided that an exam candidate is not subject to a waiting period after a previous failed attempt, the exam window start date will be the day following the submission of the exam enrollment request.

Background

An important part of FINRA's work involves providing investors the information and tools they require to make informed decisions about their assets and avoid dealings with bad actors. Several respondents to the Special Notice on Engagement issued in March 2017 provided a range of recommendations related to FINRA's efforts in the area of investor education—including the types of investor education content we develop and our dissemination strategies.

The Cross-Market Equities Supervision: Auto Execution Manipulation report is a tool designed to provide firms feedback on exceptions that were generated based on the firm’s order entry and trading activity in a given surveillance period. The report covers auto execution manipulation.  This report is produced on a monthly basis.

Summary Report

The table below provides a reference description for all of the elements found for Auto Execution Manipulation exceptions identified during the month.  

In general, a member firm’s office or location is either registered as a branch office, if it meets the definitions contained in Rule 3110(f), or exempt from branch office registration (i.e., an unregistered office or non-branch location), if it fits within an express exclusion from the branch office definition listed in Rule 3110(f)(2)(A)(i)–(vii) or is designated as a residential supervisory location (or RSL) under the terms of Rule 3110.19. 

This targeted educational series is designed specifically for Financial and Operations Principals (FINOPs) and compliance professionals. Each session delivers timely, practical guidance on regulatory updates and operational requirements that directly impact your firm's financial and operational compliance.

Background

In response to the March 2017 Special Notice on Engagement issued as part of FINRA360, FINRA received a number of comments and suggestions regarding engagement in connection with FINRA's rulemaking process. After carefully reviewing and analyzing the comments, FINRA is taking a number of actions to address the comments and suggestions that it received.

Rulemaking Process

Questions and Answers on FINRA’s Eligibility Proceedings for Firms Participating in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC” or “Commission”) Share Class Selection Disclosure Initiative (“SCSD Initiative”).

The Web CRD Form BD Timeliness Report Card is a monthly analysis of FINRA firms' ability to meet certain filing obligations. In accordance with FINRA rules, firms are required to submit information related to applicant member and/or affiliate(s). This report displays a firm's performance in submitting certain BD amendment filings in the required time frame.

FINRA recently introduced a new interactive report card designed to help firms proactively detect potential compliance problems and strengthen their oversight capabilities. The optional report card provides near real-time insights and interactive features to help identify reporting deficiencies and enhance your compliance programs.

To view the report card, you must have the entitlement: Firm View Equity Report Card

Background

A large number of registered representatives are also Certified Financial Planner^TM (CFP^®) professionals. These professionals must complete a minimum of 30 continuing education (CE) hours every two years as part of the requirements for CFP certification renewal. Through the FINRA360 process, a number of firms expressed a desire for improved opportunities with regard to continuing education credits.