Coming to a branch near you: Finra examiners

As Finra recently indicated in its summary of this year's examinations, <a href=http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20111221/FREE/111229981>, 2011 was a very busy year.</a>
DEC 21, 2011
As Finra recently indicated in its summary of this year's examinations, 2011 was a very busy year. But one number stood out in the Finra statement about its steps to increase investor protection. The SRO conducted nearly 800 branch exams this year - or roughly 350 more than it conducted in 2010 - as it honed in on the 'point-of-sale' in some cases, rather than broker-dealers' home offices. Here's the direct excerpt from Finra:

'FINRA exam staff also placed greater focus on branch-level activity – increased the number of branch exams, and refocused our exams at point-of-sale, spending more time on site at the branch offices and, depending on the firm, less time at the main office. There were approximately 350 more branch office exams conducted this year compared to 2010, bringing the total branch office exams to nearly 800.'

Why the increased emphasis on examining branch-level activity? Finra indicated that it re-jiggered its approach to exams so it could "be more risk-based and ensure exam teams are more focused on those areas critical to investor safety." Finra added that it increased its number of examiners and was able to collect more - and improved - data about broker-dealers. The end result? Disciplinary actions totaled 1,411 in 2011, up nearly 8% over 2010. What should brokers and their firms expect in 2012? Only time will tell. But Finra has made it clear that they're looking more closely at individual branches than ever before - stay tuned.

Latest News

UBS hit with $125 million in AML penalties as FinCEN imposes record broker-dealer fine
UBS hit with $125 million in AML penalties as FinCEN imposes record broker-dealer fine

Firm admits repeated Bank Secrecy Act violations after regulators say it missed the same kind of wire-monitoring failures flagged in 2018.

Fed and FDIC ease bank insider lending rules in latest deregulatory push
Fed and FDIC ease bank insider lending rules in latest deregulatory push

The proposals extend a wave of regulatory relief in 2026 that has already loosened capital requirements for community banks.

FMG Suite adds four senior leaders to scale AI and enterprise growth
FMG Suite adds four senior leaders to scale AI and enterprise growth

The advisor marketing platform is expanding its leadership team to accelerate enterprise sales and AI-driven compliance tools.

Retirement income shouldn’t be an afterthought
Retirement income shouldn’t be an afterthought

Why “one big pool of money” needs predictability—and a plan.

LPL posts record adjusted earnings as recruiting pipeline hits new high
LPL posts record adjusted earnings as recruiting pipeline hits new high

Advisor recruiting climbed to its strongest pace in nearly two years, while CEO Richard Steinmeier said the firm has "cleared the decks" for bigger institutional deals.

SPONSORED Direct indexing webinar targets tax-loss harvesting amid market swings

Northern Trust’s Ken Lassner shows advisors how to convert volatility into after-tax portfolio gains

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income