SEC Disclosure Tool (Form CRS) Helps Attorneys With Their Due Diligence When Referring a Financial Adviser to a Client

Every attorney who is in the position of referring a client to a financial professional or firm needs to be aware of the firm's CRS, a new 2- to 4-page disclosure document that SEC-regulated firms must deliver to their clients.

The CRS was adopted to help investors understand the different standards of care that apply to their financial professionals (investment advisers vs. broker-dealers vs. dual registrants), as well as conflicts of interest embedded in the firm's way of doing business.

This program, presented by Julie Jason, JD, LLM, of Jackson, Grant Investment Advisers, Inc., will help lawyers who are in the position of making referrals to better understand how to use the CRS in their due diligence process.

Learning Objectives:

I. Understand what led to the adoption of the CRS, including investor surveys, regulatory initiatives, and focus groups

II. Review the CRS, how the CRS is organized, and when to go beyond the CRS

III. Identify conflicts of interest

IV. Evaluate regulatory and disciplinary disclosures

V. Utilize the CRS in your due diligence before recommending a financial professional to clients