What to Know About the 5 Stages of an SEC Audit

The share of RIAs getting audited is on the rise. According to a January 2022 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission report from the Office of Inspector General's Office of Audits, 10% of RIAs were audited in fiscal year 2015. However, the report notes that "the percentage of RIAs examined improved to 15 percent in FY 2020 and 16 percent in FY 2021." Jason Vinsonhaler, director of compliance at RIA in a Box, notes that undergoing a regulatory audit can be extremely stressful for an RIA firm, especially for the firm's CEO and chief compliance officer. Vinsonhaler offered suggestions to help RIA firms prepare and navigate an audit with relative ease, from getting documents organized to dealing with any deficiencies the audit finds. Check out his advice in the gallery above.