WASHINGTON (April 25, 2012) – The following is a statement from Jack E. Herstein, president of the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) and Assistant Director of the Nebraska Department of Banking & Finance, Bureau of Securities, regarding the “Investment Adviser Oversight Act of 2012’’ introduced today by House Financial Services Committee Chairman Spencer Bachus (R-AL). 

“The regulation of investment advisers long has been the shared responsibility of state and federal securities regulators. Chairman Bachus believes a self-regulatory organization for investment advisers is necessary because the federal government has not provided proper oversight over larger advisers, but his bill also would require state-registered advisers to become members of his new SRO. The creation of an SRO for state-regulated investment advisers is a misguided solution to a problem that does not exist. 

“There has never been any evidence to suggest that states have failed in their mission of regulating smaller investment advisers. Nonetheless, this bill dictates how each state should regulate smaller advisers and requires state-regulated advisers to join a national SRO. The Bachus bill is an astonishing attack on our system of federalism with no demonstrated justification. 

“While there have been marginal improvements from the draft Chairman Bachus released last September in the areas of conflicts of interest and information sharing, the nationalization of small and mid-sized investment adviser regulation would be a mistake that neither benefits investors nor promotes small business interests. Shifting their regulation to a central office would subject these small businesses to redundant regulation and add unnecessary costs to support this new bureaucracy. State securities regulators are best positioned to be the primary regulatory for small and mid-sized investment advisers.”

For more information:
Bob Webster, Director of Communications
202-737-0900