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If you agree with these terms and conditions, please sign up now! Document Type. Due Date. Certificate of Attendance of Directors in meetings of the Board of Directors. On or before the 30 th day of January of the following year. Certificate of Independent Directors. There might be additional requirements for selling securities in your state or the state where you want to be licensed.
You should check with the respective office of the Secretary of State to learn about anything else you need to do to earn your securities license. FINRA says that the exams are "corequisites," but that does not mean you have to take both at the same time.
Instead, they mean that you can't earn your license without taking both, and you can take them in any order. The licensing exams are not exactly a walk in the park. You need to study with purpose and planning. To help you out, many retail brokerage firms have an in-house training program or, in some cases, they have an agreement with an external training provider. These individuals may also be called "stock brokers" or "registered representatives.
They may also have to register with the self-regulatory organizations of which their employer is a member — for example, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. To the extent that associated persons engage in securities activities outside of the supervision of their broker-dealer, they would have to register separately as broker-dealers.
Part III, below, provides a discussion of how to register as a broker-dealer. We do not differentiate between employees and other associated persons for securities law purposes.
Broker-dealers must supervise the securities activities of their personnel regardless of whether they are considered "employees" or "independent contractors" as defined under state law. See , for example, In the matter of William V. The law also does not permit unregistered entities to receive commission income on behalf of a registered representative.
For example, associated persons cannot set up a separate entity to receive commission checks. An unregistered entity that receives commission income in this situation must register as a broker-dealer.
Under certain circumstances, unregistered entities may engage in payroll administration services involving broker-dealers. December 4, In those circumstances, the broker-dealer employer generally hires and supervises all aspects of the employees' work and uses the payroll and benefits administrator merely as a means to centralize personnel services.
A broker-dealer that conducts all of its business in one state does not have to register with the SEC. State registration is another matter. See Part III , below. The exception provided for intrastate broker-dealer activity is very narrow. To qualify, all aspects of all transactions must be done within the borders of one state. This means that, without SEC registration, a broker-dealer cannot participate in any transaction executed on a national securities exchange.
A broker-dealer that otherwise meets the requirements of the intrastate broker-dealer exemption would not cease to qualify for the intrastate broker-dealer exemption solely because it has a website that may be viewed by out-of-state persons, so long as the broker-dealer takes measures reasonably designed to ensure that its business remains exclusively intrastate.
These measures could include the use of disclaimers clearly indicating that the broker-dealer's business is exclusively intrastate and that the broker-dealer can only act for or with, and provide broker-dealer services to, a person in its state, as long as the broker-dealer does not provide broker-dealer services to persons that indicate they are, or that the broker-dealer has reason to believe are, not within the broker-dealer's state of residence.
These measures are not intended to be exclusive. A broker-dealer could adopt other measures reasonably designed to ensure that it does not provide broker-dealer services to persons that are not within the same state as the broker-dealer. However, an intermediary's business would not be "exclusively intrastate" if it sold securities or provided any other broker-dealer services to a person that indicates that it is, or that the broker-dealer has reason to believe is, not within the broker-dealer's state of residence.
A word about municipal and government securities. There is no intrastate exception from registration for municipal securities dealers or government securities brokers and dealers. A broker-dealer that transacts business only in commercial paper, bankers' acceptances, and commercial bills does not need to register with the SEC under Section 15 b or any other section of the Act. On the other hand, persons transacting business only in certain "exempted securities," as defined in Section 3 a 12 of the Act, do not have to register under Section 15 b , but may have to register under other provisions of the Act.
For example, some broker-dealers of government securities, which are "exempted securities," must register as government securities brokers or dealers under Section 15C of the Act, as described in Part II. E, below. A security sold in a transaction that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of the " Act" is not necessarily an "exempted security" under the Exchange Act.
For example, a person who sells securities that are exempt from registration under Regulation D of the Act must nevertheless register as a broker-dealer. In other words, "placement agents" are not exempt from broker-dealer registration. Issuers generally are not "brokers" because they sell securities for their own accounts and not for the accounts of others.
Moreover, issuers generally are not "dealers" because they do not buy and sell their securities for their own accounts as part of a regular business. Issuers whose activities go beyond selling their own securities, however, need to consider whether they would need to register as broker-dealers.
This includes issuers that purchase their securities from investors, as well as issuers that effectively operate markets in their own securities or in securities whose features or terms can change or be altered. The so-called issuer's exemption does not apply to the personnel of a company who routinely engage in the business of effecting securities transactions for the company or related companies such as general partners seeking investors in limited partnerships.
The employees and other related persons of an issuer who assist in selling its securities may be "brokers," especially if they are paid for selling these securities and have few other duties. Exchange Act Rule 3a provides that an associated person or employee of an issuer who participates in the sale of the issuer's securities would not have to register as a broker-dealer if that person, at the time of participation: 1 is not subject to a "statutory disqualification," as defined in Section 3 a 39 of the Act; 2 is not compensated by payment of commissions or other remuneration based directly or indirectly on securities transactions; 3 is not an associated person of a broker or dealer ; and 4 limits its sales activities as set forth in the rule.
Some issuers offer dividend reinvestment and stock purchase programs. Under certain conditions, an issuer may purchase and sell its own securities through a dividend reinvestment or stock purchase program without registering as a broker-dealer. These conditions, regarding solicitation, fees and expenses, and handling of participants' funds and securities, are explained in Securities Exchange Act Release No.
Although Regulation M 2 replaced Rule 10b-6 and superseded the STA Letter, the staff positions taken in this letter regarding the application of Section 15 a of the Exchange Act remain in effect.
See 17 CFR The SEC generally uses a territorial approach in applying registration requirements to the international operations of broker-dealers. Under this approach, all broker-dealers physically operating within the United States that induce or attempt to induce securities transactions must register with the SEC, even if their activities are directed only to foreign investors outside of the United States.
In addition, foreign broker-dealers that, from outside of the United States, induce or attempt to induce securities transactions by any person in the United States, or that use the means or instrumentalities of interstate commerce of the United States for this purpose, also must register. This includes the use of the internet to offer securities, solicit securities transactions, or advertise investment services to U.
Foreign broker-dealers that limit their activities to those permitted under Rule 15a-6 of the Act, however, may be exempt from U. Foreign broker-dealers that wish to rely on this exemption should review Securities Exchange Act Release No. See also letters re: Securities Activities of U. In addition, in April , the Division of Market Regulation staff issued responses to frequently asked questions concerning Rule 15a-6 in relation to Regulation AC.
Regulation AC is discussed in Part V. B, below. Broker-dealers that limit their activity to government or municipal securities require specialized registration. Those that limit their activity to government securities do not have to register as "general-purpose" broker-dealers under Section 15 b of the Act. General-purpose broker-dealers that conduct a government securities business, however, must note this activity on their Form BD. Form BD is discussed below.
All firms that are brokers or dealers in government securities must comply with rules adopted by the Secretary of the Treasury, as well as SEC rules. Firms that limit their securities business to buying and selling municipal securities for their own account municipal securities dealers must register as general-purpose broker-dealers.
If, however, these entities are banks or meet the requirements of the intrastate exemption discussed in Part II. Municipal securities brokers other than banks must register as general-purpose broker-dealers unless they qualify for the intrastate exception.
See Part II. Firms that run a matched book of repurchase agreements or other stock loans are considered dealers. Because a "book running dealer" holds itself out as willing to buy and sell securities, and is thus engaged in the business of buying and selling securities, it must register as a broker-dealer. Note: Banks, thrifts, and other financial institutions should be aware that the Commission has adopted rules that may affect them.
The GLBA amended the Exchange Act, and banks now have certain targeted exceptions and exemptions from broker-dealer registration. Currently, as a result of Commission rulemaking, banks are undergoing a phase-in period for compliance with the new law. Since October 1, , banks that buy and sell securities must consider whether they are "dealers" under the federal securities laws.
The bank exceptions and exemptions only apply to banks, and not to related entities. It is important to note that exceptions applicable to banks under the Exchange Act, as amended by the GLBA, are not applicable to other entities, including bank subsidiaries and affiliates, that are not themselves banks.
As such, subsidiaries and affiliates of banks that engage in broker-dealer activities are required to register as broker-dealers under the Act. Also, banks that act as municipal securities dealers or as government securities brokers or dealers continue to be required to register under the Act.
By statute, thrifts savings associations have the same status as banks, and may avail themselves of the same targeted exceptions and exemptions from broker-dealer registration as banks. As with banks, it is important to note that exceptions and exemptions applicable to thrifts are not applicable to other entities, including subsidiaries and affiliates that are not thrifts.
As such, subsidiaries and affiliates of thrifts that engage in broker-dealer activities are required to register as broker-dealers under the Act. The exceptions and exemptions applicable to banks under the Exchange Act do not apply to other kinds of financial institutions, such as credit unions.
The SEC staff, however, has permitted certain financial institutions, such as credit unions, to make securities available to their customers without registering as broker-dealers.
This is done through "networking" arrangements, where an affiliated or third-party broker-dealer provides brokerage services for the financial institution's customers, according to conditions stated in no-action letters and NASD Rule Under a networking arrangement, financial institutions can share in the commissions generated by their referred customers, under certain conditions.
The financial institution engaging in such networking must be in strict compliance with applicable law and Commission staff guidance. See , for example, letter re: Chubb Securities Corporation November 24, and NASD Rule applicable to broker-dealers that enter into networking arrangements with banks, thrifts, and credit unions.
The SEC staff has permitted insurance agencies to make insurance products that are also securities such as variable annuities available to their customers without registering as broker-dealers under certain conditions.
This again is done through "networking" arrangements, where an affiliated or third-party broker-dealer provides brokerage services for the insurance agency's customers, according to conditions stated in no-action letters.
These arrangements are designed to address the difficulties of dual state and federal laws applicable to the sale of these products. Through networking arrangements, insurance agencies can share in the commissions generated by their referred customers under certain conditions.
Insurance agencies engaging in such networking must be in strict compliance with applicable law and Commission staff guidance. September 28, Those interested in structuring such an arrangement should contact private counsel or the SEC staff for further information. Notably, insurance networking arrangements are limited to insurance products that are also securities.
They do not encompass sales of mutual funds and other securities that do not present the same regulatory difficulties. See letter re: Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. February 20, The offer of real estate as such, without any collateral arrangements with the seller or others, does not involve the offer of a security. When the real estate is offered in conjunction with certain services, however, it may constitute an investment contract, and thus, a security.
See generally , Securities Act Release No. There is no general exception from the broker-dealer registration requirements for licensed real estate brokers or agents who engage in the business of effecting transactions in real estate securities.
In the past, the Division staff has granted no-action relief from the registration requirements to licensed real estate personnel that engage in limited activities with respect to the sale of condominium units coupled with an offer or agreement to perform or arrange certain rental or other services for the purchaser. The relief provided in these letters is limited solely to their facts and should not be relied upon for activities relating to sales of other types of real estate securities, including tenants-in-common interests in real property.
Broker-dealers may enter into arrangements to offer services to members of certain non-profit groups, including civic organizations, charities, and educational institutions that rely upon private donations.
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