General Books-and-Records Requirements (FINRA-SEC Bridge)

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What this video covers

  • The three sources of recordkeeping authority (Securities Exchange Act of 1934, SEC rules, and FINRA rules) and how the umbrella rule bridges them
  • Why the FINRA umbrella violation is a standalone offense separate from any underlying SEC charge, even for the same format failure
  • The 6-year default retention floor, including the critical distinction between account-related records (6 years after account closure) and non-account records (6 years after the record is made)
  • The major exceptions: 4 years for written customer complaints and 3 years for communications, superseded compliance manuals, and expired negotiable-instrument authorizations
  • The two SEC-acceptable electronic storage formats: Write Once, Read Many (WORM) and the audit trail alternative
  • Why format compliance is totally separate from content compliance under the umbrella rule
  • The "longer period controls" rule when SEA and FINRA retention periods conflict for the same record

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This video's complete written lesson is free to read in the CertFuel app, no signup wall. The complete Series 24 course also includes adaptive practice questions and spaced-repetition flashcards, free through the end of 2026.

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