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Best Practices Trump Regulatory Compliance
T3 Advisor Conference February 16, 2017
Brian Hamburger, JD, CRCP
President and CEO
MarketCounsel | Trending T3 Advisor Conference
Brian Hamburger
Cybersecurity
Recruiting
Equity Plan Design
Succession Planning
DOL Fiduciary Rule
Mergers and Acquisitions
Automated Solutions
Outsourced CCOs
Anti-money Laundering
Examination Priorities
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Regulation S-P: “reasonable safeguards”
State data security and breach regulations
Proposed SEC Rules
Amendments to Reg. S-P
Business Continuity Planning
Dicta / exam bootstrapping
Exams: releases and sweeps
Enforcement
Areas: physical (IT), third party (cloud), staff awareness
Cybersecurity Sources
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Review the firm's cyber risks. What data can be compromised by internal and external parties.?
Review the firm's policies and procedures that impact the protection of client data
privacy policy
data security plan
red flags identity theft policy
business continuity plan
Review your IT structure and ensure that it is up to date with your firm’s risks as well as current best practices,
including those published by the SEC and non-securities regulators and experts. Look at internal risks
(employees and ex-employees) as well as external risks.
Cybersecurity Review
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Limit access to electronic data to those that need that access.
Pay special care to any third parties that have access to client data. Review their cybersecurity and privacy
policies. Do initial and ongoing due diligence on those providers. This should include your IT provider.
Train and educate employees. This may be the most important aspect. A knowledgeable compliance officer is
only slightly helpful. It only takes one naïve employee to open the floodgates.
Conduct testing. Test your people. Test your system. Test your providers. If you use penetration testing: i)
use a different third party to attempt to compromise your system; ii) test staff by sending fishing email and
see who clicks (don’t send a real one!); iii) remember physical facilities! (try to walk in and steal a server, look
at files, look for passwords written on post-its).
Cybersecurity Practices
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If there is a breach:
plug the hole immediately
take swift and deliberate steps to mitigate the impact.
look to breach requirements in your home state and the states where you have clients whose data was
compromised.
do a thorough analysis of what went wrong.
Implement measures to limit the chances of a breach recurring in a similar manner.
Cybersecurity Breach Response
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March Towards Broker-Dealer Price Competition
1968: volume discount was initiated
1971: fixed commissions were eliminated on all transactions over $500,000; non-member access discount
begun
1972: fixed commissions were eliminated on all transactions over $300,000
1973: commissions were unfixed on transactions under $2,000.
1975: Securities Acts Amendments of 1975; all fixed commissions eliminated.
The first time in 180 years that trading fees would be set by market competition.
Creative disruption led to discount stock brokers.
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
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1995: Tully Report
SEC Chairman Levitt creates the Committee on Compensation Practices.
Response to concerns about actual and potential conflicts of interest in the retail brokerage industry.
Focus was on compensation practices for registered reps and branch managers and development of best
practices to eliminate, reduce or mitigate conflicts of interest.
Report found that although the existing commission-based compensation works well for most investors,
conflicts of interest persist. Thus, the establishment of ‘best practices’ to align the interest of clients, the
registered rep and the brokerage firm.
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
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1999: SEC rule on fee-based brokerage accounts
SEC proposes a rule that would exempt brokers’ fee-based accounts from the fiduciary requirements of the
Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
In proposing the 1999 exemption, the SEC said fee-based brokerage accounts benefit investors ‘by
aligning their interests more closely” with the firm and individual broker.
No formal action.
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
MarketCounsel | Trending Threat to Full Service Brokers
MarketCounsel | Trending Blurring the Lines
MarketCounsel | Trending Blurring the Lines
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2005: The ‘Merrill Lynch rule’
The SEC re-proposes the 1999 rule exempting fee-based brokerage accounts from the fiduciary
requirements of the 1940 Act.
Citing “significant continuing public interest” in the proposal, the SEC on August 18, 2004 reopened the
comment period on the proposed rule.
New York Times editorial that criticized the rule proposal as “a regulatory misadventure now five years in
the running.”
Lawsuit filed by the FPA against the SEC for the SEC’s inaction on the proposal. The FPA stated that the
lawsuit was initiated in order to restore “the integrity of the Advisers Act and its protections to investors
by eliminating a loophole for broker-dealers and allowing them to operate as advisers with virtually no
disclosure of conflicts” and charged that, although never adopted, the SEC has allowed brokers to
“operate under the [proposed] exemption until the final rule was adopted.”
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
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Final Rule, adopted April 2005
A BD providing investment advice to customers would be excluded from the definition of investment
adviser regardless of the form that its compensation takes, as long as:
the advice is provided on a nondiscretionary basis;
the advice is solely incidental to the brokerage services; and
the broker-dealer discloses to its customers that their accounts are brokerage accounts.
Not solely incidental:
Relationship includes discretionary authority;
There is a separate fee or contracts for advisory services; or
Financial planning services.
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
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The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
Your account is a brokerage account and not an advisory
account. Our interests may not always be the same as
yours. Please ask us questions to make sure you
understand your rights and our obligations to you,
including the extent of our obligations to disclose conflicts
of interest and to act in your best interest. We are paid
both by you and, sometimes, by people who compensate
us based on what you buy. Therefore, our profits, and our
salespersons’ compensation, may vary by product and
over time.
MarketCounsel | Trending
2006: The RAND Report
The SEC first suggested a study in connection with a rule adopted in April 2005, allowing broker-dealers to
offer fee-based brokerage accounts without being required to comply with the Advisers Act.
Twelve bidders responded to the Commission's August 1 "Request for Proposal," providing the SEC with a
range of thoughtful options.
The report confirmed investor confusion: investors had difficulty distinguishing between investment
advisers and broker-dealers and understanding the varying affiliations and other relationships among the
different firms. Focus-group participants struggled to understand the differences between the suitability
and fiduciary standards of care.
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
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2007: ‘Merrill Lynch rule’ overturned
D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals vacates the ‘Merrill Lynch rule’.
Brokers must adhere to fiduciary duty when working with fee-based brokerage accounts.
Judges rule the SEC exceeded its authority by exempting brokerage firms that charge asset-based fees
from regulation under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Critics say the SEC is lax in enforcing the ‘solely incidental’ requirement.
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
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2009: Harmonization
Obama administration releases a report that outlines the ways to “increase fairness for investors”.
The report proposes that the SEC “establish a fiduciary duty for broker-dealers offering investment advice,
and harmonize the regulation of investment advisers and broker-dealers.”
2010: Dodd-Frank Act
President Obama signs the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, which gives the SEC the authority to
promulgate a uniform fiduciary duty standard for retail investment advice that is no less stringent that than
the 1940 Act.
The measure provides safe harbor for several brokerage activities, including charging commissions, selling
proprietary products and principal trading.
It also limits the continuing duty of care.
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
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2010: DOL releases fiduciary rule
In September, the DOL proposes a rule designed to limit conflicts of interest for financial advisors working
with clients with respect to retirement accounts.
2011: SEC report favors uniform fiduciary
In January, the SEC staff issues a report recommending the commission propose a uniform fiduciary duty
rule.
2011: DOL withdraws rule
In the face of industry criticism, the DOL withdraws its proposed conflicts of interest rule.
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
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The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016E 2017E 2018E 2019E 2020E
Wirehouse Independent RIA
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2013: SEC seeks cost-benefit feedback
SEC releases a request for comment on the costs and benefits of a uniform fiduciary duty rule and
harmonization of adviser and broker regulations.
The SEC has not published the results of this comment request.
2013: New DOL Secretary
At his confirmation hearing, Mr. Perez promises to listen to stakeholders before deciding how to proceed
with the fiduciary rule.
2015: Obama demands progress
In February, President Obama directs the DOL to re-propose its fiduciary duty rule.
Mr. Obama says protecting workers and retirees from conflicted advice would shield more than $17 billion
in savings lost annually to inappropriate high fees.
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
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2015: White announces support
In March, SEC Chairwoman Mary Jo White announces her support for a fiduciary duty rule, but cautions
that she must find support from two of the other four bipartisan commissioners to propose a rule.
2015: DOL re-proposes rule
In April, the Labor Department proposed a new rule requiring fiduciary advice for retirement accounts.
2015: Comment period, hearings
Following an initial comment period, the DOL holds four days of hearings on the fiduciary rule in August.
A second comment period closes in late September. The agency receives more than 3,000 letters about the
proposed rule.
2015: Political sides drawn
The financial industry, Republican lawmakers and SEC commissioner Daniel Gallagher attack the rule as
“unworkable” as legislation is introduced that would attempt to block the rule
Proponents, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and consumer groups, rally Democrats to stand with
the administration.
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
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2016: Rule heads to OMB
On Jan. 29, the DOL sends the rule to the Office of Management and Budget for review.
The final rule is expected to be released in March or April. Additional attempts to scuttle it — through
legislation or lawsuits — are anticipated.
2016: DOL issues final fiduciary rule
On April 6, the Labor Department releases its final version of the fiduciary rule, including changes to many
areas the industry opposed.
Congress will have 60 days to review the rule after it is published in the Federal Register.
If lawmakers vote to rescind it, the resolution likely would be vetoed by President Barack Obama.
Full compliance will be “phased in” and won't be required until Jan. 1, 2018.
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
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2016: Trump defeats Hillary
Trump wins the presidential election.
The Republicans maintain control over both houses of Congress.
Expectation is that the DOL rule will be delayed if not repealed.
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
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2017: Trump issues executive order to delay the DOL rule
Initial reports suggested DOL rule would be delayed by 180 days.
The delay would allow the DOL time to do an analysis on the impact of the Rule and determine if it should
revised or rescinded.
The order however did not include a 180 delay. Only the DOL can delay the Rule.
2017: Trump and DOJ Appeal For Delay
Hours before the Texas ruling, the Department of Justice, the lawyers for DOL, had requested a stay in the
case until after the President’s mandated review is done.
The Texas ruling found the fiduciary rule does not exceed the DOL’s authority, and the DOL did not exceed
its statutory authority to grant conditional exemptions.
Judge Lynn is the second judge to grant summary judgment to the DOL on the fiduciary rule. Judge Moss of
the District of Columbia District Court also granted summary judgment. That case is on appeal to the DC
Circuit.
The Fiduciary Standard, a Historical Context
MarketCounsel | Trending Where Do We Go From Here?
MarketCounsel | Trending Where Do We Go From Here?
MarketCounsel | Trending Where Do We Go From Here?
© 2016 MarketCounsel, LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this presentation may be reproduced without the express written consent of the author. MarketCounsel is a consulting
firm, is not affiliated with any government entity, and does not render legal or investment advice. MarketCounsel is, however, affiliated with the Hamburger Law Firm, LLC.
www.marketcounsel.com