A, B, C. Those three simple letters of the English alphabet could cause plenty of administrative grief for compliance and middle office operations managers at US mutual fund management firms over the next few months. That is, if they hope to take advantage of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s leniency program on overcharges to investors in […]
Global Network Management: Are My Assets Safe?
Global network managers of custodian banks are redefining the word relationship when it comes to monitoring local agent banks that safekeep assets of underlying clients in multiple countries. It is no longer enough to make a sporadic visit or have a phone call. Global network managers have become detectives sifting through mounts of data to […]
Form N-PORT: Managers Report Big Stress
Update 12/12/2017: Fund managers shouldn’t feel too relieved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s delay on when they must submit Form N-PORT. On December 8, the SEC said that fund managers can wait until April 2019 at the earliest to transmit their completed Form N-PORT to the regulatory agency’s Edgar system. However, fund managers […]
Alt Fund Managers: What Needs to Be Fixed Before the SEC Exam
Hedge fund and private equity fund managers top the list of firms having the most angst, when it comes to worrying about passing an exam by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. They also are likely to have the the most work preparing for an exam. A recent survey of C-level executives conducted by compliance […]
Countdown to US T+2: Five Last Minute Tips
It’s now or never when it comes being ready for the pending two-day settlement cycle in the US. With September 5, the day T+2 becomes effective, just around the corner, operations and IT managers are taking the opportunity to verify that their front, middle and back office systems are tweaked correctly. And that their counterparties […]
EU Benchmarks: Time to Take Inventory
Some middle office and compliance managers will soon have their work cut out for them creating a benchmark inventory management process to show European regulators that they use approved benchmarks. Effective January 1, 2018, the European Benchmark Regulation (BMR) will require that European Union-supervised entities who want to enter into financial contracts or instruments referencing […]
Colorado Raises the Bar in Buyside Cybersecurity
Banks might not be the only financial institutions needing dedicated chief information security officers (CISOs) to oversee and enforce a cybersecurity program. As FinOps Report goes to press, the Colorado Division of Securities is set to finalize rules which, as of July 15, will make the state the first in the US to require fund managers and broker-dealers […]
Private Equity Admin: Blockchain Revolution?
In another entry of blockchain into a new operational realm, Northern Trust’s announcement that it has installed the first functioning blockchain for private equity funds administration has been drawing a lot of attention. Yet that’s no guarantee that institutional investors in private equity funds or other fund administrators will be enamored with the idea. say investment, operations, […]
Alternative Funds Industry Tackles Data Culture
Chief data officer (CDO) may not the most sought-after position at hedge fund management shops, but that isn’t stopping the C-level executives from pushing hard to create a better data management culture — including finding someone to take on the role, with or without the title. To support this effort, a new group calling itself the Data […]
Pre-Release ADRs: More SEC Fines on the Way?
First ITG. Who is next? That is the question fund managers and other investors are asking themselves after learning that the US Securities and Exchange Commission fined broker-dealer ITG $24.4 million for violating regulations on how it used the pre-released shares of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). The SEC says that ITG violated Section 17(a)3 of […]