The global flow of economic sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine is ongoing and getting more complex. To help broker-dealers and their auditors stay on top of sanctions and their impacts, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) recently released a “Spotlight” guide on the subject: “Auditing Considerations Related to the Invasion of… Read More >>
FINRA Clarifies When It Will Charge a CCO
Is a chief compliance officer (CCO) at a broker-dealer automatically on the hook for any regulatory mishaps at a firm? Not necessarily, says FINRA, the self-regulatory organization (SRO) for U.S. broker-dealers. FINRA officials issued a regulatory notice last month that sets out to clarify a CCO’s role. The notice focuses on the scope of Supervision… Read More >>
GSAM Buys a Robo-Advisor & Other News
GSAM to Use NextCapital for Defined Contribution Foray Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) is acquiring Chicago-based robo-advisor NextCapital Group to hasten the development of Goldman Sachs’ offerings for the defined contribution market via personalized managed accounts and digital advice, officials say. The transaction is slated to close during the second half of this year, depending… Read More >>
ASX May Delay CHESS Replacement Launch Again
A key Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) executive has announced another likely delay in the launch of the blockchain-based infrastructure that will replace the legacy Clearing House Electronic Subregister System (CHESS) due to new requirements for the core software of the platform to come. The ambitious. cutting-edge operations platform for securities transactions was slated to go… Read More >>
SEC to Scan Private Funds, ESG, Ops & More
It’s that time again. Only this go-round, pardner, there’s a new sheriff at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). And he’s refocusing priorities. Yup, the SEC Division of Examinations has announced its 2022 examination priorities, which include “several significant areas of focus and many perennial risk areas. The Division will focus on private funds,… Read More >>
Congress Should Rein In Exchanges: SIFMA
SIFMA wants Congress to shake up the legal framework for securities exchanges. This is because some key federal securities laws are preserving advantages for exchanges but may be harming investors, says Ellen Greene, SIFMA managing director, equity and options market structure, in her recent testimony before Congress. But there are ways to fix the situation,… Read More >>
BNY Mellon FSI DAC Fined $12M for Regulatory Breaches
Citing 16 breaches of the regulations governing fund administration outsourcing, the Central Bank of Ireland fined BNY Mellon Fund Services DAC a total of €10,780,000 ($11.9 million), making it the largest monetary penalty to date ever imposed on a fund services provider in Ireland. “BNY DAC is the second-largest fund administrator in Ireland with just… Read More >>
Broadridge Revamps ProxyVote App & Other News
ProxyVote Updates Target Ease-of- Voting & Query Concerns Broadridge Financial Solutions has improved its ProxyVote app to help investors gain easier access to proxy information, officials say. “The enhancements make it easier than ever for investors to access and review proxy information in upcoming annual meetings of the companies and mutual funds they own, and… Read More >>
SEC Advances Climate Risk Disclosure Rules
As many expected it would, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is pushing for new rules that will require public companies to report more details about the climate-related risks that could “have a material impact on their business, results of operations, or financial condition.” But not everyone is on board with this move, including a… Read More >>
Aladdin Grants BlackRock’s Wish & Other News
BlackRock Lands $150B Mandate with AIG BlackRock’s investment management technology platform Aladdin will play a key role in the $150 billion mandate that the asset manager just signed with insurance giant American International Group (AIG), officials say. The Aladdin platform encompasses portfolio management and risk analytics. The world’s largest asset manager will oversee key AIG… Read More >>
