Blog Article

Introducing the RIA Registration Wizard for RIA Firms

Jan 27, 2015

This free online tool helps a registered investment adviser (RIA) firm determine if the firm is registered in the proper SEC and state jurisdictions.

We are excited to announce the official release of the new RIA in a Box RIA Registration Wizard for existing advisory firms. This free online wizard allows an existing registered investment adviser (RIA) firm to automatically check to see whether it is properly registered and/or notice filed in the jurisdictions in which it operates. This process takes less than 2 minutes and is completed online via the RIA Registration Wizard. 

Trying to determine whether or not a firm is appropriately registered and/or notice filed can be one of the most challenging and mystifying parts of RIA compliance requirements. With this new free online wizard, we hope to simplify and greatly reduce the time spent during this research process for firms that are expanding their client base or geographic operating footprint. Some of the common investment adviser registrations questions automatically answered by the wizard include:

  • Should my RIA firm be registered at the SEC or state level?
  • Should my advisory firm be registered or notice filed in every place where it has a physical office?
  • What states require my new RIA firm to register or notice file before taking on our 1st client therein?
  • In what states does the SEC allow an advisory firm to register with the SEC with less than $100 million in assets under management?

As RIA compliance consultants, we want to remind you that ensuring your RIA firm is properly registered should always be one of the top priorities for your investment advisory firm’s Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). According to the most recent NASAA coordinated investment adviser examination study, RIA registration deficiencies are the 2nd most common deficiency found during investment adviser regulatory audits. 58.5% of all investment advisers examined were cited for registration deficiencies.

Be sure to check back soon as we will continue to be rolling out a series of online tools in 2015 for prospective and existing advisory firms to utilize in helping to keep your firm compliant with all state and SEC investment adviser regulatory requirements.