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Leadership Lessons: Jennifer Stout On Building a Winning Team (Video)

11-02-18

Leadership Lessons: Jennifer Stout On Building a Winning Team (Video)

Bates is pleased to introduce the next new mini-interview we are sharing on the occasion of Bates Group President and CEO Jennifer Stout’s 25th anniversary with Bates. In this video segment, Jennifer discusses leadership lessons she has learned over the years that help her connect to clients and support employees and the firm.

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10-31-18

Federal Trade Commission Reports on Senior Consumer Fraud

In a new report to Congress, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) compiled its latest data on the widespread problem of financial fraud perpetrated against elderly consumers. The agency also highlighted 2017-2018 enforcement actions and described its outreach and education initiatives to combat senior financial abuse. This article highlights the findings in the latest FTC report.

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10-25-18

SEC Finalizes Its Four-Year Strategic Plan

In June, Bates reported on an SEC Draft Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2018 - 2022. The development of the plan is required by federal statute as a means to assess “agency performance and improvement.” The issuance of the Draft Plan was immediately followed by the submission of testimony by SEC Chair Jay Clayton before the House Committee on Financial Services. At that hearing, Chair Clayton expounded on the short draft strategy, describing in greater detail the future agenda for the agency. Now, after the required comment period, the agency’s Final Strategic Plan has been released. Chair Clayton describes the 11-page plan as a “forward-looking framework” that focuses “on the most important goals and initiatives” for fulfilling the agency’s mission. Bates Research takes a closer look.

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10-18-18

New York DFS Asserts Itself in National Annuities Standards Debate

In a few weeks, a working group of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) will meet again in a continuing effort to complete a revision to the organization’s Suitability in Annuity Transactions Model Regulation. The goal of the working group remains a revision of the standards and procedures for providing appropriate recommendations to consumers “that result in transactions involving annuity products.” The group's progress took a detour in July when the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) issued a final regulation establishing its own “best interest” standard of care for recommendations of both annuity products and life insurance products.

Bates Research takes a look at some of the issues as they are playing out with respect to the very real New York requirements on the horizon, and the NAIC’s efforts to revise the standards on annuity products.

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Alert: FINRA Consolidating Exam and Risk Monitoring Programs

10-11-18

Alert: FINRA Consolidating Exam and Risk Monitoring Programs

On October 1, FINRA announced that it will consolidate its Examination and Risk Monitoring Programs under a single structure. When completed in 2019, the move will incorporate business conduct, financial compliance and trading compliance under one unified framework. 

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NASAA Update: New Leadership, Cybersecurity Model Act for IAs and Heightened Supervision for BDs

10-04-18

NASAA Update: New Leadership, Cybersecurity Model Act for IAs and Heightened Supervision for BDs

On September 25th, Michael S. Pieciak, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, took the reins as the 101st president of the North American Securities Administrators Association (“NASAA”). That same day, NASAA’s Investment Adviser Section proposed a model rule that would require investment advisers to adopt policies and procedures regarding information security. NASAA also published the results of a series of “coordinated examinations of broker-dealer firms” that reviewed the heightened supervision plans of firms for registered representatives. Bates Research takes a closer look at these developments.

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09-20-18

FINRA Report Cites Greater Use of RegTech, Warns of Regulatory Implications

Despite RegTech’s “potential to fundamentally transform how securities industry participants perform their compliance obligations,” RegTech tools also raise “new challenges and regulatory implications” that affect “supervision, vendor management, data privacy and security.” That is the explicit assumption underlying a new FINRA white paper summarizing the results of the SRO’s extensive outreach on the subject. Bates Research takes a closer look.

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Bates Group Welcomes Financial Services Industry Leader and Consultant Gerald Baker

09-14-18

Bates Group Welcomes Financial Services Industry Leader and Consultant Gerald Baker

Bates Group is pleased to welcome Gerald (“Jerry”) Baker, Financial Services Industry Leader and Consultant, to Bates Compliance Solutions. With over 45 years of Financial Services and Compliance experience, Mr. Baker brings a wealth of industry knowledge and expertise, having developed compliance programs and managed Compliance Department functions at major U.S. securities and financial services firms. He provides compliance and supervisory consulting and training, serving clients at financial services firms, trade associations and regulatory organizations.

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09-05-18

What’s In A Name? NASAA Weighs In On Regulation Best Interest

The North American Securities Administrators Association (“NASAA”) encouraged the SEC “to make significant revisions to its April 18 Regulation Best Interest and related proposals (“Reg. BI”) before adopting them in order to best serve the interests of investors.”

In NASAA’s comment letter on Reg. BI, NASAA cautioned the SEC to take it slow, be deliberate and, most importantly, to consider “significant improvements” in order to “promulgate final rules that will serve the best interest of investors as the Commission intends.” Bates Research takes a closer look at NASAA’s concerns and its recommendations to the SEC.

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Bates Welcomes New Financial Crimes Managing Director Edward Longridge

09-03-18

Bates Welcomes New Financial Crimes Managing Director Edward Longridge

Bates Group welcomes Edward Longridge as the new Managing Director of Bates’ Financial Crimes practice. Based in New York City, Ed brings nearly 20 years of distinguished experience as an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance and Financial Crimes leader at major multinational financial institutions.

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