Compliance is a “have to” in the financial services industry. Advisory firms are required to have a compliance officer or a designated third-party compliance administrator. While your business might technically meet internal compliance requirements, there’s much more to consider in order to keep your business protected from regulatory scrutiny.
We recently teamed up with
Bates Group to film a series of special Roundtable Talks centered on the importance of staying on top of compliance. One of Bates Group’s Managing Directors, David Birnbaum, JD,
joined us to talk about the ways to achieve good compliance management, as well as how it can impact the value and growth of your firm. From these conversations we’ve found the following five compliance mistakes to be the most common to many financial services businesses.
1. Neglecting Internal Compliance Audits
If you wait until you’re faced with a regulatory audit to look at your policies and operating procedures, you’ve waited too long. By reviewing the business periodically, you’ll not only be able to head off potential issues before they arise, but you’ll be prepared for any observations a regulator could make during a compliance audit. In addition to the security in knowing everything is running smoothly and within regulation, you’ll also be able to confidently answer any questions a regulator or outside party might have about your business.
