OCIE Director Describes Plans for Increased Adviser and Broker-Dealer Examinations

On October 17, 2016 Marc Wyatt, Director of the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations, delivered a speech summarizing OCIE’s recent activities and future priorities.  In the speech, Wyatt said that in fiscal year 2016, OCIE completed over 2,400 examinations, a more than 20% increase over 2015, which was itself a six-year high. He noted that over the past two years, over 2,000 new advisers registered with the SEC, increasing the examination pool. Wyatt further noted that for fiscal year 2017, OCIE is bolstering staffing in the investment adviser/investment company examination program by about 20%and that a significant number of the new examiners transitioned from the broker-dealer examination program. He stated that OCIE will maintain a significant presence overseeing registered broker-dealers nationwide and is working to enhance its oversight of, and coordination with, FINRA exam initiatives, including by establishing a dedicated FINRA inspection team.