--- title: GAO Calls On SEC to Strengthen Oversight of FINRA As Congress Weighs Investment Adviser SRO Legislation description: GAO Calls On SEC to Strengthen Oversight of FINRA As Congress Weighs Investment Adviser SRO Legislation --- [![Jacko Law Group, PC - Securities Law](https://resources.jackolg.com/hubfs/Jackolawgroup%20February2018/image/brand.png)](http://www.jackolg.com/) Call Today for a Consultation San Diego 619-298-2880 San Francisco 415-766-3599 Los Angeles 213-631-2549 Menu [Contact](http://www.jackolg.com/Contact.shtml) - [Home](http://www.jackolg.com/) - [Firm Overview](http://www.jackolg.com/Firm-Overview/) - [Professionals](http://www.jackolg.com/Professionals/) - [Events](http://www.jackolg.com/Events.shtml) - [News](http://www.jackolg.com/News-Room/) - [Blog](http://www.jackolg.com/blog/) - [Videos](http://www.jackolg.com/Videos.shtml) - [Contact](http://www.jackolg.com/Contact.shtml) # Understand. Define. Achieve. Uniquely situated to offer comprehensive services to registered investment advisers, securities broker-dealers, hedge funds, financial professionals and organizations of all sizes. View Our Practice Areas - [SEC/FINRA Regulatory Counsel](http://www.jackolg.com/Regulatory-Examinations-and-Inquiries-SEC-and-FINRA/) - [Private Equity & Hedge Fund Counsel](http://www.jackolg.com/Private-Equity-Counsel/) - [Investment Adviser Services](http://www.jackolg.com/Legal-Considerations-for-Breaking-Away/Investment-Adviser-Counsel.shtml) - [Breakaways And Transitions](http://www.jackolg.com/Legal-Considerations-for-Breaking-Away/) - [General Corporate Counsel](http://www.jackolg.com/Corporate-Counsel/) - [Broker- Dealer Counsel](http://www.jackolg.com/Broker-Dealer-Counsel/) #### News - [Legal Tips](http://www.jackolg.com/News-Room/) - [Publications](http://www.jackolg.com/News-Room/Publications.shtml) - [Blog](http://www.jackolg.com/blog/) # Jacko Law Group Blog # GAO Calls On SEC to Strengthen Oversight of FINRA As Congress Weighs Investment Adviser SRO Legislation On May 30, 2012, the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) released [a report](http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/591222.pdf) , mandated by Dodd-Frank, on its study of the SEC’s oversight of FINRA. The report is critical of the agency’s oversight of FINRA, calling on the agency to direct FINRA to conduct “retrospective reviews” of its rules and to identify ineffective rules that should be abandoned. The report notes the “SEC has conducted limited or no oversight of \[certain\] aspects of FINRA’s operations, such as governance and executive compensation.” In its response to a draft of the report, the agency maintained it operates “a robust program for the oversight of FINRA” but indicated that SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro had already requested staff to “encourage FINRA to consider additional methods to conduct retrospective reviews of its rules to assess whether \[those\] rules are achieving their intended purpose.” The SEC’s response also agreed with the report’s recommendations that the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE), the department with primary responsibility for FINRA oversight, implement a more comprehensive, risk-based approach to its oversight of the SRO. The report comes just one week before the House Financial Services Committee is set to hold a [hearing on legislation](http://financialservices.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=297670) that would move direct oversight of investment advisers, which currently rests with the SEC, to a new self-regulatory organization that FINRA is vying to become. The proposed law, [H.R. 4624](http://financialservices.house.gov/UploadedFiles/BILLS-112-HR4624ih.pdf), would amend the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to create “National Investment Adviser Associations” that, like FINRA’s oversight of Broker-Dealers, would be supervised by the SEC. Proponents of the bill argue that an SRO will increase oversight of advisers. Opponents of the legislation, however, are pointing to the GAO study as [further evidence](http://www.investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120603/REG/306039983&utm_source=issuealert-20120603&utm_medium=in-newsletter&utm_campaign=investmentnews&utm_term=text) that adding a new layer of oversight will not address the bill’s purported concerns about investor protection. For additional information about these issues or any other securities law concern please contact Sarah Weber at sarah.weber@jackolg.com or (619)298-2880. ### Legal Tip Archive - [September 2011 (5)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2011/09) - [April 2014 (5)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2014/04) - [August 2014 (5)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2014/08) - [September 2015 (5)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2015/09) - [August 2011 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2011/08) - [October 2011 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2011/10) - [June 2012 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2012/06) - [July 2012 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2012/07) - [August 2012 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2012/08) - [October 2012 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2012/10) - [November 2012 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2012/11) - [January 2013 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2013/01) - [March 2013 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2013/03) - [April 2013 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2013/04) - [May 2013 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2013/05) - [June 2013 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2013/06) - [September 2013 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2013/09) - [October 2013 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2013/10) - [January 2014 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2014/01) - [February 2014 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2014/02) - [March 2014 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2014/03) - [May 2014 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2014/05) - [June 2014 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2014/06) - [July 2014 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2014/07) - [December 2014 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2014/12) - [January 2016 (4)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2016/01) - [November 2011 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2011/11) - [December 2011 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2011/12) - [January 2012 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2012/01) - [February 2012 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2012/02) - [April 2012 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2012/04) - [May 2012 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2012/05) - [September 2012 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2012/09) - [December 2012 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2012/12) - [July 2013 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2013/07) - [August 2013 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2013/08) - [November 2013 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2013/11) - [December 2013 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2013/12) - [January 2015 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2015/01) - [February 2015 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2015/02) - [March 2015 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2015/03) - [July 2015 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2015/07) - [August 2015 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2015/08) - [November 2015 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2015/11) - [February 2016 (3)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2016/02) - [March 2012 (2)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2012/03) - [February 2013 (2)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2013/02) - [October 2014 (2)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2014/10) - [November 2014 (2)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2014/11) - [April 2015 (2)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2015/04) - [May 2015 (2)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2015/05) - [June 2015 (2)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2015/06) - [October 2015 (2)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2015/10) - [December 2015 (2)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2015/12) - [July 2011 (1)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2011/07) - [September 2014 (1)](https://resources.jackolg.com/archive/2014/09) see all #### News - [Legal Tips](http://www.jackolg.com/News-Room/) - [Publications](http://www.jackolg.com/News-Room/Publications.shtml) - [Blog](http://www.jackolg.com/blog/) [Email Us For A Response](http://www.jackolg.com/Contact.shtml) #### How Can We Help? Email us to request more information or to schedule an appointment. **Bold** labels are required. #### Follow Us ON - [![Facebook](https://resources.jackolg.com/hubfs/Jackolawgroup%20February2018/image/facebook.jpg)![Facebook](https://resources.jackolg.com/hubfs/Jackolawgroup%20February2018/image/facebook-o.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jacko-Law-Group-PC/293111140703429)Facebook - [![Google Plus](https://resources.jackolg.com/hubfs/Jackolawgroup%20February2018/image/google-plus.jpg)![Google Plus](https://resources.jackolg.com/hubfs/Jackolawgroup%20February2018/image/google-plus-o.jpg)](https://plus.google.com/103406198138900359700/posts)Google Plus - [![LinkedIn](https://resources.jackolg.com/hubfs/Jackolawgroup%20February2018/image/linkedin.jpg)![LinkedIn](https://resources.jackolg.com/hubfs/Jackolawgroup%20February2018/image/linkedin-o.jpg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/469106?trk=vsrp_companies_res_name&trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A1915712591417541495513%2CVSRPtargetId%3A469106%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary)LinkedIn - [![Twitter](https://resources.jackolg.com/hubfs/Jackolawgroup%20February2018/image/twitter.jpg)![Twitter](https://resources.jackolg.com/hubfs/Jackolawgroup%20February2018/image/twitter-o.jpg)](https://twitter.com/JackoLawGroup)Twitter **San Diego Office** 1350 Columbia Street Suite 300 San Diego, CA 92101 [Map & Directions](https://maps.google.com/?q=Jacko+Law+Group,+PC+1350+Columbia+Street+Suite+300+San+Diego+CA+92101) Toll Free: 866-497-2298 Phone: 213-631-2549 Phone: 619-298-2880 Fax: 619-298-2882 **San Francisco Office** Four Embarcadero Center Suite 1400 San Francisco, CA 94111 [Map & Directions](https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/4+Embarcadero+Center,+San+Francisco,+CA+94111,+USA/@37.7950648,-122.3986392,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x808580613083aa1d:0x7e2bd59759260996) Phone: 415-766-3599 **Los Angeles Office** 535 N. Brand Boulevard Suite 279 Glendale, CA 91203 [Map & Directions](https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/535+N+Brand+Blvd+%23279,+Glendale,+CA+91203,+USA/@34.154319,-118.2576643,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x80c2c05300cb02e7:0xa610477ee4f38e64) Phone: 213-631-2549 © 2018 by [Jacko Law Group, PC](http://pview.findlaw.com/cmd/view?wld_id=4003514&pid=1). All rights reserved. [Disclaimer](http://www.jackolg.com/Disclaimer.shtml) | [Site Map](http://www.jackolg.com/Site-Map.shtml) [Privacy Policy](http://www.jackolg.com/Privacy-Policy.shtml) | [Business Development Solutions](https://www.lawyermarketing.com/?utm_source=FirmSite&utm_medium=footer%2Bcopyright&utm_term=law%2Bfirm%2Bmarketing&utm_campaign=FirmSite%2BInbound) by [FindLaw](http://www.findlaw.com/), part of Thomson Reuters.