When Do You Need to Register as an Investment Adviser Representative? When Do You Need to Register as an Investment Adviser Representative? The compliance line is easy to miss. One day a financial professional is discussing general market ideas, introducing prospects, or helping with planning. The next, those same actions may be considered investment advice, solicitation, or client-facing advisory work that requires registration as an Investment Adviser Representative. That l

CIMA Designation Now Exempts You from the Series 65 Exam CIMA Designation Now Exempts You from the Series 65 Exam A major registration barrier just got easier for many investment professionals. In May 2024, the North American Securities Administrators Association, known as NASAA, voted to add the Certified Investment Management Analyst designation to its model rule list of credentials that can qualify for a Series 65 exam waiver. That is big news if you hold the CIMA designat

How to Source and Vet RIA Books of Business Successfully How to Source and Vet RIA Books of Business Successfully Buying an RIA book of business can add years of growth in a single transaction. It can expand reach, bring in experienced advisory talent, and increase assets under management without waiting for referrals and marketing to compound. But an advisory book is not a warehouse full of transferable assets. Clients own the relationships. Advisory agreements include conse

How RIAs Can Recruit IARs Without Triggering SEC or TRO Risks How RIAs Can Recruit IARs Without Triggering SEC or TRO Risks Recruiting an experienced Investment Adviser Representative can add assets, talent, and market reach quickly. It can also create a legal problem before the new advisor has entered a single client into the CRM. The risk usually comes from the transition itself. A rushed move can lead to privacy violations, licensing gaps, trade secret claims, non-solicit

Due Diligence for Digital Lead Generators A Compliance Guide for RIAs Due Diligence for Digital Lead Generators A Compliance Guide for RIAs A lead generator can feel like a simple growth vendor. You pay for names, calls, appointments, or matched prospects. The compliance view is different: if that vendor promotes your advisory services for compensation, regulators may treat the vendor as your promoter or solicitor, and its statements as your advertisement. That shift matters.

By Ivan Barretto, RIA Compliance Concepts AI Washing in RIA Marketing What Advisors Need to Know AI Washing in RIA Marketing What Advisors Need to Know Walk through almost any adviser’s website and you will see some version of the same promise: “AI-powered portfolios,” “machine-learning insights,” “intelligent planning,” or “automated intelligence for better outcomes.” Some of those claims are accurate. Many are aspirational. A few describe technology the firm does not use at

MNPI Recognition for RIAs: What CCOs Need to Know MNPI Recognition for RIAs: What CCOs Need to Know MNPI problems rarely arrive with a warning label. They show up in ordinary places: a due diligence packet, a casual comment from an issuer contact, a side conversation at an industry event, or a private fund update that says more than it should. Every registered investment adviser must establish, maintain, and enforce written policies reasonably designed to prevent the misuse o

Google Workspace Settings for SEC and FINRA Compliance Google Workspace Settings for SEC and FINRA Compliance Google Workspace can run a lean RIA. It can also leave a lean RIA exposed if Gmail, Drive, Chat, and Vault are left in their default state. That is the trap. Google Workspace has many of the pieces an adviser needs for electronic records, supervision, access control, and retrieval. But those pieces sit in different places: the Admin console, Google Vault, security set

Microsoft 365 SEC Compliance Guide for Investment Advisers Microsoft 365 SEC Compliance Guide for Investment Advisers Microsoft 365 can hold almost every record an advisory firm creates, but that does not mean it preserves those records the way regulators expect. Exchange Online may keep your email moving. SharePoint and OneDrive may make file access easier. Teams may help staff communicate faster. Still, the default setup is built for productivity, not SEC or FINRA recordkee

Understanding Colorado's New Investment Adviser Licensing Rules: What You Need to Know Understanding Colorado's New Investment Adviser Licensing Rules: What You Need to Know If your Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) firm conducts business in Colorado, recent changes to the state's licensing requirements demand your attention. Starting August 12, 2026, the Colorado Division of Securities has updated regulations that affect who must register or file notices in the state. Thes