The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Division of Examinations (the Division) recently released its annual top exam priorities for the 2022 calendar year. The Division of Examinations is the SEC division which conducts examinations of registered investment adviser (RIA) firms and this priority list can help investment advisers be better properly prepared for a regulatory examination. In comparison to the SEC’s lists published in past years (2019, 2020, and 2021), there are similar priorities such as compliance programs and business continuity plans.
To provide further guidance on the SEC’s 2022 exam priorities, we created a checklist that outlines top focus areas. Items addressed include:
- Private Funds.
- Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing.
- Standards of Conduct: Regulation Best Interest, Fiduciary Duty and Form CRS.
- Information Security and Operational Resiliency.
- Emerging Technologies and Crypto-Assets.