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US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1)

United States
v17 CFR 240.15l-1 as adopted by Release 34-86031 (June 2019, 84 FR 33318), effective 10 September 2019 with a compliance date of 30 June 2020; eCFR current section read 2026-10-13 shows no amendment since adoption
6 domains
16 controls

The SEC's best interest standard for broker-dealer recommendations to retail customers: the general obligation and its four components (written disclosure of capacity, costs, services and conflicts; reasonable-basis, customer-specific and quantitative care; conflict identification, disclosure, mitigation and the ban on product-specific sales contests; a compliance program), plus the six-year retail customer record under Rules 17a-3 and 17a-4.

Verified

US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) is a compliance framework from United States with 6 domains and 16 controls. The largest domains are Disclosure obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(i)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) (5 controls), Conflict of interest obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(iii)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) (4 controls), Care obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(ii)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) (3 controls). Every control below carries what it requires and what an assessor expects to see.

Maintained by Gerard Blokdyk

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Framework Domains (6)

Care obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(ii)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1)

3 controls
Controls in the Care obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(ii)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) domain of US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) — 3 controls
CodeTitle
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a2ii-AUnderstand the recommendation and have a reasonable basis that it could suit some retail customers
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a2ii-BHave a reasonable basis that the recommendation suits this customer's investment profile
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a2ii-CEnsure a series of recommended transactions is not excessive when taken together

Compliance obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(iv)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1)

1 controls
Controls in the Compliance obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(iv)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) domain of US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) — 1 controls
CodeTitle
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a2ivWritten policies and procedures reasonably designed to achieve compliance with Regulation Best Interest

Conflict of interest obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(iii)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1)

4 controls
Controls in the Conflict of interest obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(iii)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) domain of US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) — 4 controls
CodeTitle
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a2iii-APolicies and procedures to identify and at least disclose or eliminate all conflicts
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a2iii-BIdentify and mitigate conflicts that give individuals an incentive to put the firm first
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a2iii-CIdentify, disclose and prevent the effects of material limitations on the menu of recommendations
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a2iii-DEliminate sales contests, quotas, bonuses and non-cash compensation tied to specific securities in a limited period

Disclosure obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(i)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1)

5 controls
Controls in the Disclosure obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(i)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) domain of US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) — 5 controls
CodeTitle
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a2i-A1Disclose the capacity in which the recommendation is made
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a2i-A2Disclose the material fees and costs of transactions, holdings and accounts
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a2i-A3Disclose the type and scope of services and any material limitations
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a2i-BDisclose all material facts about conflicts of interest tied to the recommendation
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a2i-timingGive full and fair written disclosure before or at the time of the recommendation

Records under Exchange Act Rules 17a-3 and 17a-4 – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1)

2 controls
Controls in the Records under Exchange Act Rules 17a-3 and 17a-4 – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) domain of US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) — 2 controls
CodeTitle
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::17a3-a35Make a record of the information collected from and given to each retail customer and the responsible associated person
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::17a4-e5Preserve the Regulation Best Interest records for six years

The general best interest obligation (paragraph (a)(1)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1)

1 controls
Controls in the The general best interest obligation (paragraph (a)(1)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) domain of US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) — 1 controls
CodeTitle
us-sec-regulation-best-interest-17-cfr-240-15l-1::a1Act in the retail customer's best interest at the time of each recommendation

What is US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) and who does it apply to?

US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) is a compliance framework from United States with 6 domains and 16 controls. The SEC's best interest standard for broker-dealer recommendations to retail customers: the general obligation and its four components (written disclosure of capacity, costs, services and conflicts; reasonable-basis, customer-specific and quantitative care; conflict identification, disclosure, mitigation and the ban on product-specific sales contests; a compliance program), plus the six-year retail customer record under Rules 17a-3 and 17a-4. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.

What does US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) actually require?

US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) has 16 controls organised across 6 domains. The largest domains are Disclosure obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(i)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) (5 controls), Conflict of interest obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(iii)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) (4 controls), Care obligation (paragraph (a)(2)(ii)) – US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) (3 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.

If I already comply with another framework, how much of US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) do I already cover?

US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) does not currently have cross-framework mappings in our system. Check back as we continuously expand our mapping database.

How do I implement US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1)?

Start your US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) compliance journey by running a self-assessment on our platform to identify your current compliance posture. Our AI advisory can answer specific questions about US SEC Regulation Best Interest (17 CFR 240.15l-1) requirements, and cross-framework mapping helps you leverage existing controls from other frameworks you may already comply with. Create a free account to access all 16 controls and track your progress.

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