§ 10-5-40 — Financial requirements

(a) Subject to Section 15(h) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78o(h) , or Section 222 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-22, a rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may establish minimum financial requirements for broker-dealers registered or required to be registered under this chapter and investment advisers registered or required to be registered under this chapter. (b) Subject to Section 15(h) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78o(h) , or Section 222(b) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-22, a broker-dealer registered or required to be registered under this chapter and an investment adviser registered or required to be registered under this chapter shall file such financial reports, if any, as are required by a rule adopted or order issued under this chapter. If the information contained in a record filed under this subsection is or becomes inaccurate or incomplete in a material respect, the registrant shall promptly file a correcting amendment. (c) Subject to Section 15(h) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78o(h) , or Section 222 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-22 : (1) A broker-dealer registered or required to be registered under this chapter and an investment adviser registered or required to be registered under this chapter shall make and maintain the accounts, correspondence, memoranda, papers, books, and other records required by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter; (2) Broker-dealer records required to be maintained under paragraph (1) of this subsection may be maintained in any form of data storage acceptable under Section 17(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78q(a) , if they are readily accessible to the Commissioner; and (3) Investment adviser records required to be maintained under paragraph (1) of this subsection may be maintained in any form of data storage required by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter. (d) The records of a broker-dealer registered or required to be registered under this chapter and of an investment adviser registered or required to be registered under this chapter are subject to such reasonable, periodic, special, or other audits or inspections by a representative of the Commissioner, inside or outside this state, as the Commissioner considers necessary or appropriate in the public interest and for the protection of investors. An audit or inspection may be made at any time and without prior notice. The Commissioner may copy, and remove for audit or inspection copies of, all records the Commissioner reasonably considers necessary or appropriate to conduct the audit or inspection. The Commissioner may assess a reasonable charge for conducting an audit or inspection under this subsection. (e) Subject to Section 15(h) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78o(h) , or Section 222 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-22, a rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may require a broker-dealer or investment adviser that has custody of or discretionary authority over funds or securities of a customer or client to obtain insurance or post a bond or other satisfactory form of security in an amount not to exceed $25,000.00. The Commissioner may determine the requirements of the insurance, bond, or other satisfactory form of security. Insurance or a bond or other satisfactory form of security may not be required of a broker-dealer registered under this chapter whose net capital exceeds or of an investment adviser registered under this chapter whose minimum financial requirements exceed the amounts required by rule adopted or order issued under this chapter. The insurance, bond, or other satisfactory form of security must permit an action by a person to enforce any liability on the insurance, bond, or other satisfactory form of security if instituted within the time limitations in paragraph (2) of subsection (j) of Code Section 10-5-58 . (f) Subject to Section 15(h) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. Section 78o(h) , or Section 222 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, 15 U.S.C. Section 80b-22, an agent may not have custody of funds or securities of a customer except under the supervision of a broker-dealer and an investment adviser representative may not have custody of funds or securities of a client except under the supervision of an investment adviser or a federal covered investment adviser. A rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may prohibit, limit, or impose conditions on a broker-dealer regarding custody of funds or securities of a customer and on an investment adviser regarding custody of securities or funds of a client. (g) With respect to an investment adviser registered or required to be registered under this chapter, a rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may require that information or other record be furnished or disseminated to clients or prospective clients in this state as necessary or appropriate in the public interest and for the protection of investors and advisory clients. (h) A rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may require an individual registered under Code Section 10-5-31 or 10-5-33 to participate in a continuing education program approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission and administered by a self-regulatory organization or, in the absence of such a program, a rule adopted or order issued under this chapter may require continuing education for an individual registered under Code Section 10-5-33 .

Legislative History

Added by 2008 Ga. Laws 528,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2009.