BY DANIEL G. VIOLA The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) 2. Focusing on Senior Investors and FINRA’s Top Five Exam Priorities Include: released their Exam Priorities for 2017. The SEC's Retirement Investments: m High-Risk and Recidivist Brokers 2017 priorities are organized around the following m RelIRE — Retirement-Targeted Industry =: Bad Sales Practices area "0) focusing atiersot importance (0 fetal Reviews and Examinations m Practices that Lead to Financial Risk : g on risks specific to elderly m= Public Pension Advisers ; : and retiring investors; and (3) assessing market- ; m Conduct that Enhances Operational Risks wide risks. FINRA also issued its 2017 Regulatory m Senior Investors m Market Manipulation and Examinations Priorities Letter, which identifies . : ' eon supe and rk anaeteTen 33 3. @ Mone Market Fonds Risks: To read the SEC & FINRA’s 2017 Exam Priorities, areas of focus. will be introducing a compli- o ance calendar and a directory of service providers m Payment for Order Flow DESAI UMS RE as tools to assist firms. FINRA will also be initiating m Clearing Agencies https://www.sec.gov/about/offices/ocie/ cretion ie ste elon mane traditiong m FINRA national-examination-program-priorities-2017.pdf on-site cycle examinations. These off-site exams wi affect only a select group of firms that are not cur- . at al Compliance and Integrity http://www.finra.org/sites/default/files/2017- rently scheduled for a cycle exam in 2017. m National Securities Exchanges regulatory-and-examination-priorities-letter. pdf ae . . m Anti-Money Launderin The SEC priorities address ISSUES ACTOSS a Varl- , ° Daniel G. Viola is a Partner and the Head of the Regulatory ety of financial institutions, including investment 4. Other Initiatives: and Compliance Group. He structures and organizes broker- advisers, investment companies, broker-deal- : Maniéieal id : dealers, investment advisers, funds and regularly counsels ers, transfer agents, clearing agencies, private MIS