The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Division of Examinations (“The Division’’) has released its 2021 Examination Priorities. Focus themes for the 2021 exam priorities include:
- Retail investor protection with an emphasis on seniors and retirement savings; Information security and operational resiliency;
- Financial technology and innovation including digital assets;
- Anti-money laundering;
- The London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) transition; and
- Other selected areas for examinations of investment advisers, investment companies, broker-dealers and municipal advisors.
The Division indicated that its examinations and analysis will continue to remain grounded in four main pillars:
- Promoting compliance;
- Preventing fraud;
- Identifying and monitoring risk; and
- Informing SEC policy.
A more complete discussion of the exam priorities is included in this article.
This article was originally published by Chapman and Cutler LLP on March 4, 2021, and was republished by the Journal of Investment Compliance in September 2021. The full republished article is posted with permission.