BRAEDEN ANDERSON
This work began as one lawyer writing carefully about issues he studies and practices.
It now reaches over a million readers, alongside 20,000 newsletter subscribers and 160,000 YouTube followers.
Thank you for being part of this community.
Looking for something specific?
The full Anderson Insights archive is now searchable. Use the search bar to find past content by topic, agency, or keyword. Try searching: “SEC v. Jarkesy,” “ATS regulation,” “custody” or “digital assets”
Hi, I’m Braeden.
I'm a partner at Gesmer Updegrove LLP, where I lead the Securities Regulatory and Enforcement and Digital Assets practice areas. I’ve served as Assistant General Counsel at Robinhood, practiced at Kirkland & Ellis and Sidley Austin, and represented clients in high-stakes matters before the SEC, DOJ, FINRA, and state regulators.
I write and make content for people who don’t have time to guess: founders, lawyers, regulators, and smart operators who know better than to rely on Google or the AI answer without context.
I've been recognized by U.S. Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® for Financial Services and Securities Regulation, and listed in Marquis Who’s Who in America for contributions to law and public service.
Enjoy the content. I hope you find what you’re looking for. And if you want to talk something through, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d love to hear from you. It’s really cool when readers become clients.
Referral Programs, Finders Fees, and Interval Funds: How to Grow Without Triggering Broker-Dealer or Marketing Rule Landmines
Fintech founders love referral programs for the same reason regulators are skeptical of them: incentives work.
If you are offering an interval fund direct-to-consumer (especially on a “self-distributed” model), a well-designed incentive program can become your most efficient acquisition channel. The wrong program, or the right program implemented the wrong way, can create problems fast: unregistered broker activity, improper compensated solicitation, and RIA Marketing Rule violations, often all at once.
This article is meant to help you spot the issues early, frame the choices, and understand why “just pay people for referrals” is not a clean concept in the securities world. It is not a blueprint you can copy-paste into your business. The details matter, and the compliance architecture matters even more.
SEC Says State Trust Companies Can Custody Crypto
In my recent YouTube video, I discuss how the SEC is beginning to align its custody framework for digital assets with industry practice. The SEC’s Division of Investment Management has issued a no-action letter confirming that certain state-chartered trust companies may serve as qualified custodians for digital assets and related cash equivalents under the Investment Advisers Act and the Investment Company Act.
Treasury Postpones Effective Date of Investment Adviser AML Rule; Signals Broader Reassessment of Regulatory Framework
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) announced today its intent to postpone the effective date of its final rule imposing anti-money laundering (“AML”) and countering the financing of terrorism (“CFT”) requirements on investment advisers (the “IA AML Rule”).
SEC Exam Priorities for 2025: What They Mean for Investment Advisers
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has released its exam priorities for 2025, providing a roadmap for investment advisers to align their compliance programs with the regulator’s expectations. While the political transition under President Donald Trump may result in fewer enforcement actions than under the Biden administration, certain core priorities remain steadfast, regardless of the administration.
Heightened SEC Scrutiny: Investment Advisers' MNPI Policies Under the Microscope
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is intensifying its scrutiny of investment advisers’ compliance programs, particularly concerning policies and procedures designed to prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information (MNPI). Recent enforcement actions reveal that even well-intentioned but inadequately tailored policies can fall short of regulatory expectations, underscoring the importance of aligning compliance efforts with the unique risks of an adviser’s business activities.
Regulatory Update and Recent SEC Actions – October 2024
October 2024 has seen the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) continue its aggressive enforcement actions and regulatory updates, targeting a wide range of issues from improper record-keeping to non-compliance with new marketing rules. This month also saw key personnel changes within the SEC, the disbandment of the Climate and ESG Task Force, and the adoption of rules affecting venture capital funds and registered investment companies. Below are the highlights of recent SEC actions and regulatory developments.
New FinCEN AML Rule Brings Heightened Scrutiny to Registered and Exempt Reporting Investment Advisers
On August 28, 2024, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) finalized a rule that imposes new Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) program requirements on registered investment advisers (RIAs) and exempt reporting advisers (ERAs). For the first time, these advisers will be formally recognized as “financial institutions” under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), and thus subject to its AML/CFT regulations. The new rule will go into effect on January 1, 2026, signaling a significant shift for both RIAs and ERAs, who will need to implement comprehensive compliance programs to meet these requirements.
Massachusetts Investment Advisor Fined for Undisclosed WeChat Communications
In a recent enforcement action, a Massachusetts-based investment advisor has been sanctioned by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for conducting business communications through an unapproved messaging platform, in violation of recordkeeping rules. The advisor, formerly associated with a major brokerage firm, was found to have used WeChat, a Chinese social media application, to interact with clients without the firm's approval or proper documentation.
SEC Targets Standalone Investment Adviser in Groundbreaking Off-Channel Communication Enforcement Action
On April 3, 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a landmark enforcement action against Senvest Management, LLC (Senvest), marking the first such action against a private fund adviser and a standalone investment adviser for failures related to off-channel communication recordkeeping. This case represents a significant development in the SEC’s ongoing enforcement efforts focused on recordkeeping failures in the financial industry.