-2 Books and records to be maintained by investment advisers.
17 C.F.R. § 275.204-2
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) Every investment adviser registered or required to be registered under section 203 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 80b-3) shall make and keep true, accurate and current the following books and records relating to its investment advisory business;
(1) A journal or journals, including cash receipts and disbursements, records, and any other records of original entry forming the basis of entries in any ledger.
(2) General and auxiliary ledgers (or other comparable records) reflecting asset, liability, reserve, capital, income and expense accounts.
(3) A memorandum of each order given by the investment adviser for the purchase or sale of any security, of any instruction received by the investment adviser concerning the purchase, sale, receipt or delivery of a particular security, and of any modification or cancellation of any such order or instruction. Such memoranda shall show the terms and conditions of the order, instruction, modification or cancellation; shall identify the person connected with the investment adviser who recommended the transaction to the client and the person who placed such order; and shall show the account for which entered, the date of entry, and the bank, broker or dealer by or through whom executed where appropriate. Orders entered pursuant to the exercise of discretionary power shall be so designated.
(4) All check books, bank statements, cancelled checks and cash reconciliations of the investment adviser.
(5) All bills or statements (or copies thereof), paid or unpaid, relating to the business of the investment adviser as such.
(6) All trial balances, financial statements, and internal audit working papers relating to the business of such investment adviser.
(7) Originals of all written communications received and copies of all written communications sent by such investment adviser relating to:
(i) Any recommendation made or proposed to be made and any advice given or proposed to be given;
(ii) Any receipt, disbursement or delivery of funds or securities;
(iii) The placing or execution of any order to purchase or sell any security; and, for any transaction that is subject to the requirements of § 240.15c6-2(a) of this chapter, each confirmation received, and any allocation and each affirmation sent or received, with a date and time stamp for each allocation and affirmation that indicates when the allocation and affirmation was sent or received;
(iv) Predecessor performance (as defined in § 275.206(4)-1(e)(12) of this chapter) and the performance or rate of return of any or all managed accounts, portfolios (as defined in § 275.206(4)-1(e)(11) of this chapter), or securities recommendations; Provided, however:
(A) That the investment adviser shall not be required to keep any unsolicited market letters and other similar communications of general public distribution not prepared by or for the investment adviser; and
(B) That if the investment adviser sends any notice, circular, or other advertisement (as defined in § 275.206(4)-1(e)(1) of this chapter) offering any report, analysis, publication or other investment advisory service to more than ten persons, the investment adviser shall not be required to keep a record of the names and addresses of the persons to whom it was sent; except that if such notice, circular, or advertisement is distributed to persons named on any list, the investment adviser shall retain with the copy of such notice, circular, or advertisement a memorandum describing the list and the source thereof; and
(v) Any notice required pursuant to § 275.211(h)(2)-3 as well as a record of each addressee and the corresponding date(s) sent.
(8) A list or other record of all accounts in which the investment adviser is vested with any discretionary power with respect to the funds, securities or transactions of any client.
(9) All powers of attorney and other evidences of the granting of any discretionary authority by any client to the investment adviser, or copies thereof.
(10) All written agreements (or copies thereof) entered into by the investment adviser with any client or otherwise relating to the business of such investment adviser as such.
(11)(i) A copy of each
(A) Advertisement (as defined in § 275.206(4)-1(e)(1) of this chapter) that the investment adviser disseminates, directly or indirectly, except:
(1) For oral advertisements, the adviser may instead retain a copy of any written or recorded materials used by the adviser in connection with the oral advertisement; and
(2) For compensated oral testimonials and endorsements (as defined in § 275.206(4)-1(e)(17) and (5) of this chapter), the adviser may instead make and keep a record of the disclosures provided to clients or investors pursuant to § 275.206(4)-1(b)(1) of this chapter; and
(B) Notice, circular, newspaper article, investment letter, bulletin, or other communication that the investment adviser disseminates, directly or indirectly, to ten or more persons (other than persons associated with such investment adviser); and
(C) If such notice, circular, advertisement, newspaper article, investment letter, bulletin, or other communication recommends the purchase or sale of a specific security and does not state the reasons for such recommendation, a memorandum of the investment adviser indicating the reasons therefor; and
(ii) A copy of any questionnaire or survey used in the preparation of a third-party rating included or appearing in any advertisement in the event the adviser obtains a copy of the questionnaire or survey.
(12)(i) A copy of the investment adviser's code of ethics adopted and implemented pursuant to § 275.204A-1 that is in effect, or at any time within the past five years was in effect;
(ii) A record of any violation of the code of ethics, and of any action taken as a result of the violation; and
(iii) A record of all written acknowledgments as required by § 275.204A-1(a)(5) for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was, a supervised person of the investment adviser.
(13)(i) A record of each report made by an access person as required by § 275.204A-1(b), including any information provided under paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of that section in lieu of such reports;
(ii) A record of the names of persons who are currently, or within the past five years were, access persons of the investment adviser; and
(iii) A record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition of securities by access persons under § 275.204A-1(c), for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted.
(14)(i) A copy of each brochure, brochure supplement and Form CRS, and each amendment or revision to the brochure, brochure supplement and Form CRS, that satisfies the requirements of Part 2 or Part 3 of Form ADV, as applicable [17 CFR 279.1]; any summary of material changes that satisfies the requirements of Part 2 of Form ADV but is not contained in the brochure; and a record of the dates that each brochure, brochure supplement and Form CRS, each amendment or revision thereto, and each summary of material changes not contained in a brochure given to any client or to any prospective client who subsequently becomes a client.
(ii) Documentation describing the method used to compute managed assets for purposes of Item 4.E of Part 2A of Form ADV, if the method differs from the method used to compute regulatory assets under management in Item 5.F of Part 1A of Form ADV.
(iii) A memorandum describing any legal or disciplinary event listed in Item 9 of Part 2A or Item 3 of Part 2B (Disciplinary Information) and presumed to be material, if the event involved the investment adviser or any of its supervised persons and is not disclosed in the brochure or brochure supplement described in paragraph (a)(14)(i) of this section. The memorandum must explain the investment adviser's determination that the presumption of materiality is overcome, and must discuss the factors described in Item 9 of Part 2A of Form ADV or Item 3 of Part 2B of Form ADV.
(15)(i) If not included in the advertisement, a record of the disclosures provided to clients or investors pursuant to § 275.206(4)-1(b)(1)(ii) and (iii) of this chapter;
(ii) Documentation substantiating the adviser's reasonable basis for believing that a testimonial or endorsement (as defined in § 275.206(4)-1(e)(17) and (5) of this chapter) complies with § 275.206(4)-1 and that the third-party rating (as defined in § 275.206(4)-1(e)(18) of this chapter) complies with § 275.206(4)-1(c)(1) of this chapter; and
(iii) A record of the names of all persons who are an investment adviser's partners, officers, directors, or employees, or a person that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the investment adviser, or is a partner, officer, director or employee of such a person pursuant to § 275.206(4)-1(b)(4)(ii) of this chapter.
(16) All accounts, books, internal working papers, and any other records or documents that are necessary to form the basis for or demonstrate the calculation of any performance or rate of return of any or all managed accounts, portfolios (as defined in § 275.206(4)-1(e)(11) of this chapter), or securities recommendations presented in any notice, circular, advertisement (as defined in § 275.206(4)-1(e)(1) of this chapter), newspaper article, investment letter, bulletin, or other communication that the investment adviser disseminates, directly or indirectly, to any person (other than persons associated with such investment adviser), including copies of all information provided or offered pursuant to § 275.206(4)-1(d)(6) of this chapter; provided, however, that, with respect to the performance of managed accounts, the retention of all account statements, if they reflect all debits, credits, and other transactions in a client's or investor's account for the period of the statement, and all worksheets necessary to demonstrate the calculation of the performance or rate of return of all managed accounts shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this paragraph.
(17)(i) A copy of the investment adviser's policies and procedures formulated pursuant to § 275.206(4)-7(a) of this chapter that are in effect, or at any time within the past five years were in effect;
(ii) Any records documenting the investment adviser's annual review of those policies and procedures conducted pursuant to § 275.206(4)-7(b) of this chapter;
(iii) A copy of any internal control report obtained or received pursuant to § 275.206(4)-2(a)(6)(ii).
(18)(i) Books and records that pertain to § 275.206(4)-5 containing a list or other record of:
(A) The names, titles and business and residence addresses of all covered associates of the investment adviser;
(B) All government entities to which the investment adviser provides or has provided investment advisory services, or which are or were investors in any covered investment pool to which the investment adviser provides or has provided investment advisory services, as applicable, in the past five years, but not prior to September 13, 2010;
(C) All direct or indirect contributions made by the investment adviser or any of its covered associates to an official of a government entity, or direct or indirect payments to a political party of a State or political subdivision thereof, or to a political action committee; and
(D) The name and business address of each regulated person to whom the investment adviser provides or agrees to provide, directly or indirectly, payment to solicit a government entity for investment advisory services on its behalf, in accordance with § 275.206(4)-5(a)(2).
(ii) Records relating to the contributions and payments referred to in paragraph (a)(18)(i)(C) of this section must be listed in chronological order and indicate:
(A) The name and title of each contributor;
(B) The name and title (including any city/county/State or other political subdivision) of each recipient of a contribution or payment;
(C) The amount and date of each contribution or payment; and
(D) Whether any such contribution was the subject of the exception for certain returned contributions pursuant to § 275.206(4)-5(b)(2).
(iii) An investment adviser is only required to make and keep current the records referred to in paragraphs (a)(18)(i)(A) and (C) of this section if it provides investment advisory services to a government entity or a government entity is an investor in any covered investment pool to which the investment adviser provides investment advisory services.
(iv) For purposes of this section, the terms “contribution,” “covered associate,” “covered investment pool,” “government entity,” “official,” “payment,” “regulated person,” and “solicit” have the same meanings as set forth in § 275.206(4)-5.
(19) A record of who the “intended audience” is pursuant to § 275.206(4)-1(d)(6) and(e)(10)(ii)(B) of this chapter.
(20)(i) A copy of any quarterly statement distributed pursuant to § 275.211(h)(1)-2, along with a record of each addressee and the corresponding date(s) sent; and
(ii) All records evidencing the calculation method for all expenses, payments, allocations, rebates, offsets, waivers, and performance listed on any statement delivered pursuant to § 275.211(h)(1)-2.
(21) For each private fund client:
(i) A copy of any audited financial statements prepared and distributed pursuant to § 275.206(4)-10, along with a record of each addressee and the corresponding date(s) sent; or
(ii) A record documenting steps taken by the adviser to cause a private fund client that the adviser does not control, is not controlled by, and with which it is not under common control to undergo a financial statement audit pursuant to § 275.206(4)-10.
(22) Documentation substantiating the adviser's determination that a private fund client is a liquid fund or an illiquid fund pursuant to § 275.211(h)(1)-2.
(23) A copy of any fairness opinion or valuation opinion and material business relationship summary distributed pursuant to § 275.211(h)(2)-2, along with a record of each addressee and the corresponding date(s) sent.
(24) A copy of any notification, consent or other document distributed or received pursuant to § 275.211(h)(2)-1, along with a record of each addressee and the corresponding date(s) sent for each such document distributed by the adviser.
(b) If an investment adviser subject to paragraph (a) of this section has custody or possession of securities or funds of any client, the records required to be made and kept under paragraph (a) of this section shall include:
(1) A journal or other record showing all purchases, sales, receipts and deliveries of securities (including certificate numbers) for such accounts and all other debits and credits to such accounts.
(2) A separate ledger account for each such client showing all purchases, sales, receipts and deliveries of securities, the date and price of each purchase and sale, and all debits and credits.
(3) Copies of confirmations of all transactions effected by or for the account of any such client.
(4) A record for each security in which any such client has a position, which record shall show the name of each such client having any interest in such security, the amount or interest of each such client, and the location of each such security.
(5) A memorandum describing the basis upon which you have determined that the presumption that any related person is not operationally independent under § 275.206(4)-2(d)(5) has been overcome.
(c)(1) Every investment adviser subject to paragraph (a) of this section who renders any investment supervisory or management service to any client shall, with respect to the portfolio being supervised or managed and to the extent that the information is reasonably available to or obtainable by the investment adviser, make and keep true, accurate and current:
(i) Records showing separately for each such client the securities purchased and sold, and the date, amount and price of each such purchase and sale.
(ii) For each security in which any such client has a current position, information from which the investment adviser can promptly furnish the name of each such client, and the current amount or interest of such client.
(2) Every investment adviser subject to paragraph (a) of this section that exercises voting authority with respect to client securities shall, with respect to those clients, make and retain the following:
(i) Copies of all policies and procedures required by § 275.206(4)-6.
(ii) A copy of each proxy statement that the investment adviser receives regarding client securities. An investment adviser may satisfy this requirement by relying on a third party to make and retain, on the investment adviser's behalf, a copy of a proxy statement (provided that the adviser has obtained an undertaking from the third party to provide a copy of the proxy statement promptly upon request) or may rely on obtaining a copy of a proxy statement from the Commission's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval (EDGAR) system.
(iii) A record of each vote cast by the investment adviser on behalf of a client. An investment adviser may satisfy this requirement by relying on a third party to make and retain, on the investment adviser's behalf, a record of the vote cast (provided that the adviser has obtained an undertaking from the third party to provide a copy of the record promptly upon request).
(iv) A copy of any document created by the adviser that was material to making a decision how to vote proxies on behalf of a client or that memorializes the basis for that decision.
(v) A copy of each written client request for information on how the adviser voted proxies on behalf of the client, and a copy of any written response by the investment adviser to any (written or oral) client request for information on how the adviser voted proxies on behalf of the requesting client.
(d) Any books or records required by this section may be maintained by the investment adviser in such manner that the identity of any client to whom such investment adviser renders investment supervisory services is indicated by numerical or alphabetical code or some similar designation.
(e)(1) All books and records required to be made under the provisions of paragraphs (a) to (c)(1)(i), inclusive, and (c)(2) of this section (except for books and records required to be made under the provisions of paragraphs (a)(11), (a)(12)(i), (a)(12)(iii), (a)(13)(ii), (a)(13)(iii), (a)(16), and (a)(17)(i) of this section), shall be maintained and preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the last entry was made on such record, the first two years in an appropriate office of the investment adviser.
(2) Partnership articles and any amendments thereto, articles of incorporation, charters, minute books, and stock certificate books of the investment adviser and of any predecessor, shall be maintained in the principal office of the investment adviser and preserved until at least three years after termination of the enterprise.
(3)(i) Books and records required to be made under the provisions of paragraphs (a)(11) and (a)(16) of this rule shall be maintained and preserved in an easily accessible place for a period of not less than five years, the first two years in an appropriate office of the investment adviser, from the end of the fiscal year during which the investment adviser last published or otherwise disseminated, directly or indirectly, the notice, circular, advertisement, newspaper article, investment letter, bulletin or other communication.
(ii) Transition rule. If you are an investment adviser that was, prior to July 21, 2011, exempt from registration under section 203(b)(3) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 80b-3(b)(3)), as in effect on July 20, 2011, paragraph (e)(3)(i) of this section does not require you to maintain or preserve books and records that would otherwise be required to be maintained or preserved under the provisions of paragraph (a)(16) of this section to the extent those books and records pertain to the performance or rate of return of such private fund (as defined in section 202(a)(29) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 80b-2(a)(29)), or other account you advise for any period ended prior to your registration, provided that you continue to preserve any books and records in your possession that pertain to the performance or rate of return of such private fund or other account for such period.
(f) An investment adviser subject to paragraph (a) of this section, before ceasing to conduct or discontinuing business as an investment adviser shall arrange for and be responsible for the preservation of the books and records required to be maintained and preserved under this section for the remainder of the period specified in this section, and shall notify the Commission in writing, at its principal office, Washington, D.C. 20549, of the exact address where such books and records will be maintained during such period.
(g) Micrographic and electronic storage permitted—(1) General. The records required to be maintained and preserved pursuant to this part may be maintained and preserved for the required time by an investment adviser on:
(i) Micrographic media, including microfilm, microfiche, or any similar medium; or
(ii) Electronic storage media, including any digital storage medium or system that meets the terms of this section.
(2) General requirements. The investment adviser must:
(i) Arrange and index the records in a way that permits easy location, access, and retrieval of any particular record;
(ii) Provide promptly any of the following that the Commission (by its examiners or other representatives) may request:
(A) A legible, true, and complete copy of the record in the medium and format in which it is stored;
(B) A legible, true, and complete printout of the record; and
(C) Means to access, view, and print the records; and
(iii) Separately store, for the time required for preservation of the original record, a duplicate copy of the record on any medium allowed by this section.
(3) Special requirements for electronic storage media. In the case of records on electronic storage media, the investment adviser must establish and maintain procedures:
(i) To maintain and preserve the records, so as to reasonably safeguard them from loss, alteration, or destruction;
(ii) To limit access to the records to properly authorized personnel and the Commission (including its examiners and other representatives); and
(iii) To reasonably ensure that any reproduction of a non-electronic original record on electronic storage media is complete, true, and legible when retrieved.
(h)(1) Any book or other record made, kept, maintained and preserved in compliance with §§ 240.17a-3 and 240.17a-4 of this chapter under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or with rules adopted by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, which is substantially the same as the book or other record required to be made, kept, maintained and preserved under this section, shall be deemed to be made, kept, maintained and preserved in compliance with this section.
(2) A record made and kept pursuant to any provision of paragraph (a) of this section, which contains all the information required under any other provision of paragraph (a) of this section, need not be maintained in duplicate in order to meet the requirements of the other provision of paragraph (a) of this section.
(i) As used in this section the term “discretionary power” shall not include discretion as to the price at which or the time when a transaction is or is to be effected, if, before the order is given by the investment adviser, the client has directed or approved the purchase or sale of a definite amount of the particular security.
(j)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (j)(3) of this section, each non-resident investment adviser registered or applying for registration pursuant to section 203 of the Act shall keep, maintain and preserve, at a place within the United States designated in a notice from him as provided in paragraph (j)(2) of this section true, correct, complete and current copies of books and records which he is required to make, keep current, maintain or preserve pursuant to any provisions of any rule or regulation of the Commission adopted under the Act.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (j)(3) of this section, each nonresident investment adviser subject to this paragraph (j) shall furnish to the Commission a written notice specifying the address of the place within the United States where the copies of the books and records required to be kept and preserved by him pursuant to paragraph (j)(1) of this section are located. Each non-resident investment adviser registered or applying for registration when this paragraph becomes effective shall file such notice within 30 days after such rule becomes effective. Each non-resident investment adviser who files an application for registration after this paragraph becomes effective shall file such notice with such application for registration.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (j)(1) and (2) of this section, a non-resident investment adviser need not keep or preserve within the United States copies of the books and records referred to in said paragraphs (j)(1) and (2), if:
(i) Such non-resident investment adviser files with the Commission, at the time or within the period provided by paragraph (j)(2) of this section, a written undertaking, in form acceptable to the Commission and signed by a duly authorized person, to furnish to the Commission, upon demand, at its principal office in Washington, DC, or at any Regional Office of the Commission designated in such demand, true, correct, complete and current copies of any or all of the books and records which he is required to make, keep current, maintain or preserve pursuant to any provision of any rule or regulation of the Commission adopted under the Act, or any part of such books and records which may be specified in such demand. Such undertaking shall be in substantially the following form:
(ii) Such non-resident investment adviser furnishes to the Commission, at his own expense 14 days after written demand therefor forwarded to him by registered mail at his last address of record filed with the Commission and signed by the Secretary of the Commission or such person as the Commission may authorize to act in its behalf, true, correct, complete and current copies of any or all books and records which such investment adviser is required to make, keep current or preserve pursuant to any provision of any rule or regulation of the Commission adopted under the Act, or any part of such books and records which may be specified in said written demand. Such copies shall be furnished to the Commission at its principal office in Washington, DC, or at any Regional Office of the Commission which may be specified in said written demand.
(4) For purposes of this rule the term non-resident investment adviser shall have the meaning set out in § 275.0-2(d)(3) under the Act.
(k) Every investment adviser that registers under section 203 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 80b-3) after July 8, 1997 shall be required to preserve in accordance with this section the books and records the investment adviser had been required to maintain by the State in which the investment adviser had its principal office and place of business prior to registering with the Commission.
The undersigned hereby undertakes to furnish at its own expense to the Securities and Exchange Commission at its principal office in Washington, DC or at any Regional Office of said Commission specified in a demand for copies of books and records made by or on behalf of said Commission, true, correct, complete and current copies of any or all, or any part, of the books and records which the undersigned is required to make, keep current or preserve pursuant to any provision of any rule or regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. This undertaking shall be suspended during any period when the undersigned is making, keeping current, and preserving copies of all of said books and records at a place within the United States in compliance with Rule 204-2(j) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. This undertaking shall be binding upon the undersigned and the heirs, successors and assigns of the undersigned, and the written irrevocable consents and powers of attorney of the undersigned, its general partners and managing agents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission shall extend to and cover any action to enforce same.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-17.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026