BCSC releases 2018 Compliance Report Card
Nov 28, 2018
On November 28, 2018, the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) released its annual report on compliance. The annual report card. The BCSC is finding more deficiencies among portfolio managers, investment fund managers and exempt market dealers, as the commission becomes increasingly precise in choosing which firms to closely scrutinize.
Inadequate policies and procedures – including questionable risk management, outdated manuals, and weak cybersecurity policies and procedures – were the single most common category of deficiencies. Other common problems included inadequate disclosure, especially about the registrant-client relationship, and patchy efforts to ensure the suitability of investments for each client.
As a result of the compliance exams, the BCSC imposed extra restrictions on two firms, one of which decided to surrender its registration as a result. Two other firms chose to give up their registrations while still being examined.
The BCSC is increasingly referring the most egregious cases of non-compliance to its enforcement team for further investigation and possible penalties, including suspension or bans from the capital markets, as well as fines. In 2018, the BCSC opened investigations into four cases that began as compliance reviews.
Review the press release and Compliance Report Card on the BCSC’s website.