On October 24, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed amendments to update filing fee disclosure and payment methods. The proposed amendments would apply to most fee-bearing forms, schedules and statements, including Forms S-1, S-3, S-4, S-8 and S-11, related foreign private issuer forms, proxy statements, information statements, Schedule TO and certain Investment Company Act of 2940 forms.
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Investment Company Act of 1940
SEC Issues New Guidance Regarding Proxy Voting Responsibility of Investment Advisers and the Applicability of Proxy Rules to Proxy Voting Advice
Posted in SEC/Corporate
Investment Advisers
On August 21, by a vote of 3 to 2, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued interpretive guidance on an investment adviser’s fiduciary duties with respect to voting of proxies for client accounts. The guidance makes clear that advisers may agree with their clients that the client, and not the adviser, will vote proxies, but such guidance is generally impractical for advisers to private funds and registered investment companies (because there is no practical way to assign voting power to the funds).…
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SEC Proposes New Approval Process for Certain ETFs
By Janet M. Angstadt & Stanley V. Polit on
Posted in Broker-Dealer
On June 28, the Securities and Exchange Commission voted to propose a new rule and set of form amendments related to the approval process for certain exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that operate as open-ended funds (Proposal). Among other things, the Proposal calls for the creation of a new rule 6c-11 of the Investment Company Act of…
2017 Examination Priorities Announced by the SEC
Posted in Broker-Dealer
On January 12, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) released its 2017 examination priorities, which seek to address: (1) the protection of retail investors; (2) risks related to elderly and retiring investors; and (3) market-wide risks.…
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SEC Increases Dollar Amount of the Net Worth Threshold Test for ‘Qualified Clients’ in Rule 205-3 Under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940
Section 205 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 generally prohibits a federally registered investment adviser (RIA) from receiving compensation based on a share of the capital gains on or appreciation of the assets of an advisory client (i.e., performance fees). Rule 205-3 under the Advisers Act provides an exemption from this prohibition for clients that meet the definition of “Qualified Client” found in the rule.…
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