Cybersecurity tops investment advisers' concerns for fourth year
Some 86% of registered investment advisers said they are most concerned about the role of cybersecurity, privacy and identity in compliance, according to a poll from the Investment Adviser Association. The topic ranked as advisers' biggest compliance concern for the fourth year. Meanwhile, 26% of advisers identified compliance with the Securities and Exchange Commission's Custody Rule as a concern. Whereas "regulatory reporting" was a concern among just 4% of advisers last year, more than 21% recognised the topic this year.

Cybersecurity remains the top concern for registered investment advisors, with 86% of respondents in a just-released poll by the Investment Adviser Association flagging “cybersecurity/privacy/identity theft” as their “hottest” compliance topic for the fourth year.

The 2017 Investment Management Compliance Testing Survey, released Tuesday and conducted jointly by the IAA, ACA Compliance Group, and OMAM, a global multi-boutique asset management company, polled 599 advisors in April and May on their biggest compliance headaches.

Compliance with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Custody Rule was the second hottest compliance topic (26%) after cybersecurity – which IAA said was “not surprising” given concerns raised by recent SEC staff guidance about the rule.

Twenty-one percent of respondents also noted “regulatory reporting” (e.g., Form ADV) – a big jump in that category from 4% last year.

Deficiencies in required regulatory filings – including disclosures on Form ADV Part 1A or in Form ADV Part 2A brochures – was cited as the second-biggest compliance failure during SEC exams.

Last year, the SEC adopted amendments to Form ADV designed to provide more information regarding advisors, including about their separately managed account business, a method for private fund advisor entities operating a single advisory business to register using a single Form ADV, as well as clarifying, technical and other amendments. The effective date of the Form ADV changes takes place on Oct. 1.

When asked how prepared firms are for the new Form ADV reporting amendments, 35% indicated that they are progressing with their implementation efforts and expect to be ready by the compliance deadline, the poll found, while 30% reported being in the early stages of their implementation efforts.