(a) Standards for Admission
After considering the application, the membership interview, other information and documents provided by the Applicant, other information and documents obtained by the Department, and the public interest and the protection of investors, the Department shall determine whether the Applicant meets each of the following standards:
(1) The application and all supporting documents are complete and accurate.
(2) The Applicant and its Associated Persons have all licenses and registrations required by state and federal authorities and self-regulatory organizations.
(3) The Applicant and its Associated Persons are capable of complying with applicable securities laws and regulations, and with applicable
FINRA rules, including observing high standards of commercial honor and just and equitable principles of trade. In determining whether this standard is met, the Department shall take into consideration whether:
(A) a state or federal authority or self-regulatory organization has taken permanent or temporary adverse action with respect to a registration or licensing determination regarding the Applicant or an Associated Person;
(B) an Applicant's or Associated Person's record reflects a sales practice event or a pending private civil action;
(C) an Applicant or Associated Person is the subject of a pending, adjudicated, or settled regulatory action or investigation by the SEC, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a federal or state regulatory agency, a foreign financial regulatory authority, or a self-regulatory organization; an adjudicated or settled investment-related private civil action for damages or an injunction; or a criminal action (other than a minor traffic violation) that is pending, adjudicated, or that has resulted in a guilty or no contest plea;
(D) an Applicant, its control persons, principals, registered representatives, other Associated Persons, any lender of five percent or more of the Applicant's net capital, and any other member with respect to which these persons were a control person or a five percent lender of its net capital is subject to unpaid arbitration awards, other adjudicated customer awards, or unpaid arbitration settlements;
(E) an Applicant or Associated Person is the subject of a pending arbitration claim;
(F) an Associated Person was terminated for cause or permitted to resign after an investigation of an alleged violation of a federal or state securities law, a rule or regulation thereunder, a self-regulatory organization rule, or industry standard of conduct;
(G) a state or federal authority or self-regulatory organization has imposed a remedial action, such as special training, continuing education requirements, or heightened supervision, on an Associated Person; and
(H) a state or federal authority or self-regulatory organization has provided information indicating that the Applicant or an Associated Person otherwise poses a threat to public investors.
(4) The Applicant has established all contractual or other arrangements and business relationships with banks, clearing corporations, service bureaus, or others necessary to:
(A) initiate the operations described in the Applicant's business plan, considering the nature and scope of operations and the number of personnel; and
(B) comply with the federal securities laws, the rules and regulations thereunder, and FINRA rules.
(5) The Applicant has or has adequate plans to obtain facilities that are sufficient to:
(A) initiate the operations described in the Applicant's business plan, considering the nature and scope of operations and the number of personnel; and
(B) comply with the federal securities laws, the rules and regulations thereunder, and FINRA rules.
(6) The communications and operational systems that the Applicant intends to employ for the purpose of conducting business with customers and other members are adequate and provide reasonably for business continuity in each area set forth in [Rule 1013](a)(1)(E)(xii);
(7) The Applicant is capable of maintaining a level of net capital in excess of the minimum net capital requirements set forth in SE
A Rule 15c3-1 adequate to support the Applicant's intended business operations on a continuing basis, based on information filed under
[Rule 1013](b)(5). The Department may impose a reasonably determined higher net capital requirement for the initiation of operations after considering:
(A) the amount of net capital sufficient to avoid early warning level reporting requirements, such as SEA Rule 17a-11;
(B) the amount of capital necessary to meet expenses net of revenues for at least 12 months, based on reliable projections agreed to by the Applicant and the Department;
(C) any planned market making activities, the number of markets to be made, the type and volatility of products, and the anticipated maximum inventory positions;
(D) any plan to enter into other contractual commitments, such as underwritings or other securities-related activities;
(E) any plan to distribute or maintain securities products in proprietary positions, and the risks, volatility, degree of liquidity, and speculative nature of the products; and
(F) any other activity that the Applicant will engage in that reasonably could have a material impact on net capital within the first 12 months of business operations.
(8) The Applicant has financial controls to ensure compliance with the federal securities laws, the rules and regulations thereunder, and FINRA rules.
(9) The Applicant has compliance, supervisory, operational, and internal control practices and standards that are consistent with practices and standards regularly employed in the investment banking or securities business, taking into account the nature and scope of Applicant's proposed business.
(10) The Applicant has a supervisory system, including written supervisory procedures, internal operating procedures (including operational and internal controls), and compliance procedures designed to prevent and detect, to the extent practicable, violations of the federal securities laws, the rules and regulations thereunder, and
FINRA rules. In evaluating the adequacy of a supervisory system, the Department shall consider the overall nature and scope of the Applicant's intended business operations and shall consider whether:
(A) the number, location, experience, and qualifications of supervisory personnel are adequate in light of the number, location, experience, and qualifications of persons to be supervised; the Central Registration Depository record or other disciplinary history of supervisory personnel and persons to be supervised; and the number and locations of the offices that the Applicant intends to open and the nature and scope of business to be conducted at each office;
(B) the Applicant has identified specific Associated Persons to supervise and discharge each of the functions in the Applicant's business plan, and to supervise each of the Applicant's intended offices, whether or not such offices are required to be registered under FINRA rules;
(C) the Applicant has identified the functions to be performed by each Associated Person and has adopted procedures to assure the registration with FINRA and applicable states of all persons whose functions are subject to such registration requirements;
(D) each Associated Person identified in the business plan to discharge a supervisory function has at least one year of direct experience or two years of related experience in the subject area to be supervised;
(E) the Applicant will solicit retail or institutional business;
(F) the Applicant will recommend securities to customers;
(G) the location or part-time status of a supervisor or principal will affect such person's ability to be an effective supervisor;
(H) the Applicant should be required to place one or more Associated Persons under heightened supervision pursuant to Notice to Members 97-19;
(I) any remedial action, such as special training or continuing education requirements or heightened supervision, has been imposed on an Associated Person by a state or federal authority or self-regulatory organization; and
(J) any other condition that will have a material impact on the Applicant's ability to detect and prevent violations of the federal securities laws, the rules and regulations thereunder, and FINRA rules.
(11) The Applicant has a recordkeeping system that enables Applicant to comply with federal, state, and self-regulatory organization recordkeeping requirements and a staff that is sufficient in qualifications and number to prepare and preserve required records.
(12) The Applicant has completed a training needs assessment and has a written training plan that complies with the continuing education requirements imposed by the federal securities laws, the rules and regulations thereunder, and FINRA rules.
(13) FINRA does not possess any information indicating that the Applicant may circumvent, evade, or otherwise avoid compliance with the federal securities laws, the rules and regulations thereunder, or FINRA rules.
(14) The application and all supporting documents otherwise are consistent with the federal securities laws, the rules and regulations thereunder, and FINRA rules.
(b) Granting or Denying Application
(1) In reviewing an application for membership, the Department shall consider whether the Applicant and its Associated Persons meet each of the standards in paragraph (a). Where the Department determines that the Applicant or its Associated Persons are the subject of any of the events set forth in Rule 1014(a)(3)(A), (C), (D), (F) and (G), and (E) for new member applications, a presumption exists that the application should be denied. The Applicant may overcome the presumption by demonstrating that it can meet each of the standards in paragraph (a), notwithstanding the existence of any of the events set forth in Rule 1014(a)(3)(A), (C), (D), (F) and (G), and (E) for new member applications.
(2) If the Department determines that the Applicant meets each of the standards in paragraph (a), the Department shall grant the application for membership.
(3) If the Department determines that the Applicant does not meet one or more of the standards in paragraph (a) in whole or in part, the Department shall:
(A) grant the application subject to one or more restrictions reasonably designed to address a specific financial, operational, supervisory, disciplinary, investor protection, or other regulatory concern based on the standards for admission in Rule 1014(a); or
(B) deny the application.
(c) Decision
(1) Time
The Department shall serve a written decision on the membership application within 30 days after the conclusion of the membership interview or after the filing of additional information or documents, whichever is later.
(2) Content
If the Department denies the application, the decision shall explain in detail the reason for denial, referencing the applicable standard or standards in paragraph (a). If the Department grants the application subject to restrictions, the decision shall explain in detail the reason for each restriction, referencing the applicable standard or standards in paragraph (a) upon which the restriction is based and identify the specific financial, operational, supervisory, disciplinary, investor protection, or other regulatory concern that the restriction is designed to address and the manner in which the restriction is reasonably designed to address the concern.
(3) Failure to Serve Decision
If the Department fails to serve a decision within 180 days after the filing of an application or such later date as the Department and the Applicant have agreed in writing, the Applicant may file a written request with the FINRA Board requesting that the FINRA Board direct the Department to serve a decision. Within seven days after the filing of such a request, the FINRA Board shall direct the Department to serve its written decision immediately or to show good cause for an extension of time. If the Department shows good cause for an extension of time, the FINRA Board may extend the 180 day time limit by not more than 90 days.
(d) Submission of Membership Agreement
If the Department grants an application, with or without restriction, the Applicant's approval for membership shall be contingent upon the Applicant's filing of an executed written membership agreement, satisfactory to the Department, undertaking to:
(1) abide by any restriction specified in the Department's decision; and
(2) obtain the Department's approval of a change in ownership, control, or business operations pursuant to
Rule 1017, including the modification or removal of a membership agreement restriction.
The Applicant shall not waive the right to file a written request for review under
Rule 1015 by executing a membership agreement under this paragraph.
(e) Service and Effectiveness of Decision
The Department shall serve its decision and the membership agreement on the Applicant in accordance with
Rule 1012. The decision shall become effective upon service and shall remain in effect during the pendency of any review until a decision constituting final action of FINRA is issued under
Rule 1015 or
1016, unless otherwise directed by the National Adjudicatory Council, the FINRA Board, or the
SEC.
(f) Effectiveness of Restriction
A restriction imposed under this Rule shall remain in effect and bind the Applicant and all successors to the ownership or control of the Applicant unless:
(1) removed or modified by a decision constituting final action of FINRA issued under
Rule 1015,
1016, or
1017;
(2) stayed by the National Adjudicatory Council, the FINRA Board, or the SEC.
(g) Final Action
Unless the Applicant files a written request for a review under
Rule 1015, the Department's decision shall constitute final action by FINRA.
