Registration, Authorization, and Initial Filing Services

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  1. GRC Compliance Advisory Services
  2. Registration, Authorization, and Initial Filing Services

The registration or application process can seem lengthy, overwhelming, and daunting. Whether you seek authorization for the first time or are an established regulated firm looking to move into a new line of business, we can help you avoid unnecessary complications and delays.

Our team will simplify the process by assisting with your initial application or filing, supporting the set-up and implementation of your compliance program, and providing ongoing support.

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Our solutions

We offer SEC, FINRA, CFTC and NFA, and state registration as well as FCA authorization support services. Or if you are launching a new investment management firm, or extending an existing venture, we also offer regulatory hosting through ACA Mirabella.

SEC Registration Support

SEC registration requires certain investment advisers to register with the SEC and to establish and maintain an adequate compliance program. Our team will assist your firm with the initial Form ADV filing, annual Form ADV amendments, and the set up and maintenance of an adequate and effective compliance program.

FINRA Registration Support

Broker-dealers are required to register with the FINRA and establish an adequate compliance program. We'll assist with the initial broker-dealer application filing, CRD training, and preparation of compliance and supervisory procedures. In addition, our team can assist existing broker-dealers with a Change in Membership (CMA) application with FINRA.

NFA Registration Support

If you're seeking CFTC registration and National Futures Association (NFA) membership our team includes former NFA examiners who can guide you through the relevant steps in the registration process and assist with the development and implementation of your commodity interest-related compliance program.

FCA Authorization Support

Our dedicated team can help you seek authorization and apply for your Part 4A Permission.

With experience of supporting hundreds of firms through the process, providing support before, during, and after the application, we can help you avoid unnecessary complications and delays.  

SEC Registration Support for Firms Outside of the U.S

A London-based regional practice, providing RIAs and ERAs a unique offering of on-the-ground, comprehensive SEC compliance support. 

This specialist team has conducted more than 250 mock SEC examinations and compliance program reviews, and provided support to more than 100 financial services firms registered with a range of European regulators.

Brexit FCA Authorization

If you wish to submit a full FCA license or a third-country branch application, our Brexit team is on hand to help.

We will draft the FCA application package, prepare for meetings with the regulator where required, and respond to FCA due diligence requests. 

New Investment Firm Launches or Extension of Existing Ventures

For firms wishing to launch a new venture, we offer regulatory hosting through ACA Mirabella.

This multi-award winning platform is the the industry’s preferred institutional-quality solution for regulatory incubation because of the strong oversight and controls the team brings to each organisation’s project. Mirabella enables firms to get up and running quickly by operating under its regulatory agency

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Who we've helped

With a client base of over 3,500 firms, our filing compliance solution services have successfully assisted thousands of firms through the registration and authorization process.

SEC Registrations for U.S. Firms

700+

SEC Registrations for Non-U.S. Based Firms

100+

FCA Authorizations

350+
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Why work with us?

Our team includes former SEC, FINRA, FCA, NFA, CFTC, OCC, and state regulators along with former along with former Chief Compliance Officers and senior compliance managers from prominent financial institutions. We offer a deep understanding of the regulatory landscape and the holistic use of technology to maximize efficiencies and provide true value. 

With ACA, you can feel confident knowing that your consultants have the relevant and current regulatory and in-house expertise to support you through every step of the process.

Latest insights

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Year-End Compliance Checklist for CCOs

With the holiday season here and year-end looming, the pressure is mounting to cross those final compliance to-do’s off the list and finish the year strong. We’ve developed the following checklist to help guide you through the key areas to consider as you head into 2019.

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Do You Have Sufficient Resources? Ensure Compliance Coverage for the Holiday Season and Beyond

The year-end brings with it regulation changes and increased demands that last throughout the first quarter of the year. It’s all too easy for many compliance tasks to take a back seat due to lack of staff and bandwidth. Compliance officers and managers need the assurance that they can start 2019 off on the right foot and still have the resources available to fulfill both their regulatory obligations and their fiduciary duty to clients on a daily basis.

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Brexit: The Impact on Your Marketing and Distribution Activities

With four months to go until the United Kingdom’s anticipated exit of the European Union, the world braces itself for the final ‘divorce’ arrangements to be agreed, and to understand the subsequent consequences of those decisions. With questions still unanswered on how Brexit will impact investment firms, we examine possible marketing and distribution issues post-Brexit.

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Planning Your 2019 Compliance Budget Part Two: Top 5 Budgeting Tips from ACA’s Former Regulators and CCOs

As the 2018 finish line approaches, it is necessary to start looking ahead to how you want to shape your compliance program for the coming year. Last week, we discussed how to build the foundation of your budgeting process. This week, we asked the many former regulators and CCOs on ACA’s staff for their perspective on the most crucial components of building a compliance budget.

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Planning Your 2019 Compliance Budget Part One: Building the Foundation

As year-end nears, compliance teams are beginning to plan for 2019. To assist with the annual budgeting process, ACA has compiled the following information to help firms stretch limited resources and keep pace with the regulatory developments shaping next year’s compliance efforts.

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UK Budget 2018

The UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer has delivered his 2018 Budget. This was supposed to be his final Budget before the United Kingdom leaves the European Union on 29 March 2019. That said, depending on whether a “No Deal” Brexit prevails, he has signalled that he might well squeeze another one in.

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News

ACA Group Recognized as RegTech100 Company for Fifth Consecutive Year

ACA Group Recognized as RegTech100 Company for Fifth Consecutive Year

ACA Group Revolutionizes ESG Data Management with Enhanced ACA Vantage for ESG Platform

ACA Group introduces advanced features to its ACA Vantage for ESG platform, leveraging AI to help clients verify ESG data and streamline data management processes. This innovative solution empowers organizations to efficiently manage ESG requirements with greater accuracy and ease.

ACA Group Recognized at Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Tech 50 

ACA Group Recognized at Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Tech 50

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Upcoming events

2025 ACA Conference

Join us in sunny Orlando, Florida for ACA's 2025 Conference, "Preparing Today, Protecting Tomorrow," where industry leaders and experts will converge to explore the evolving landscape of financial services.

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