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Ep 99: How to Prepare for an SEC Exam
Ep 99: How to Prepare for an SEC Exam
Welcome to the Financial Advisors Want to Know Podcast! I’m Catherine Tindall, CPA with Dominion Enterprise Services, where we help financial advisors navigate income tax planning and compliance.In this episode, I sit down with Chris Stanley of Beach Street Legal to discuss how advisory firms can prepare for SEC exams and build compliance systems that scale as the firm grows.Chris explains why most SEC examinations ultimately come down to documentation, how advisors can create repeatable compliance processes instead of reacting under pressure, and the regulatory responsibilities around referrals, cybersecurity, and incident response. This conversation offers practical insight into building a compliance framework that protects your firm and prevents costly surprises down the road.
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Financial Advisors Want to Know Podcast: How to Prepare for an SEC Exam
Episode 99: Chris Stanley
🎙 Overview
Welcome to the Financial Advisors Want to Know Podcast! I’m Catherine Tindall, CPA with Dominion Enterprise Services, where we help financial advisors navigate income tax planning and compliance.
In this episode, I sit down with Chris Stanley of Beach Street Legal to discuss how advisory firms can prepare for SEC exams and build compliance systems that scale as the firm grows.
Chris explains why most SEC examinations ultimately come down to documentation, how advisors can create repeatable compliance processes instead of reacting under pressure, and the regulatory responsibilities around referrals, cybersecurity, and incident response. This conversation offers practical insight into building a compliance framework that protects your firm and prevents costly surprises down the road.
5 Key Takeaways
✅ SEC Exams Are Ultimately “Books and Records” Exams
Most examinations focus on documentation. If policies, procedures, or compliance tasks aren’t documented, regulators will treat them as if they never happened.
✅ Compliance Should Be a System—Not a Fire Drill
Firms benefit from recurring compliance processes such as annual calendars and task checklists so regulatory responsibilities become routine.
✅ Delegation and Technology Reduce Compliance Burden
Chief Compliance Officers don’t have to do everything themselves. Workflow tools, compliance software, and team delegation help firms manage responsibilities efficiently.
✅ Referral Compensation Has Regulatory Requirements
Advisors can compensate CPAs and other professionals for referrals, but must follow SEC marketing rule requirements including written agreements and client disclosures.
✅ Data Security and Incident Response Are Growing Compliance Priorities
Updates to Regulation S-P require incident response plans, client notification procedures, and vendor reporting obligations if client data is compromised.
Links & Resources
🔹 Connect with Chris Stanley
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdstanley/
🌐 Website: https://beachstreetlegal.com/
🔹 Connect with Catherine Tindall
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ctindallcpa/
📩 Sign up for the Dominion Newsletter
https://dominion-enterprise-services.kit.com/9944b047d9
📧 Contact Catherine’s Team
admin@dominiones.com
