How to Protect Vulnerable Adults from Financial Exploitation

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Written by: Brendan Furey

The organization that represents the state securities agencies, North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), recently announced that its membership had voted to adopt a model act designed to protect vulnerable adults from financial exploitation.1

The model act, titled “An Act to Protect Vulnerable Adults from Financial Exploitation”, is now available for states to enact as legislation or implement through regulation. In addition, two new rules have been proposed by FINRA, which are also designed to also help combat financial exploitation of vulnerable adults.2 Finally, to bring more attention to this issue, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a report directed at financial institutions aimed at combating elder financial exploitation.

Protecting Vulnerable Adults in a Nutshell

Vulnerable adults are defined as persons over 65 years of age and those that qualify for protection under a state adult protective services statute. The protections for these individuals impact broker-dealers, investment advisor representatives, and those who serve in a supervisory, compliance, or legal capacity for broker-dealers and investment advisors. Generally, it will mean that as you are dealing with seniors and adults with disabilities, you may have additional responsibilities and a small amount of flexibility from regulators in dealing with certain situations.

Financial Exploitation

The type of financial exploitation that potentially could be stopped is the unauthorized use of the vulnerable adult’s assets, including when a power of attorney, guardianship, or conservatorship is used to make decisions harmful to the client. Both NASAA and the federal agencies have compiled evidence showing that trusted caregivers may obtain control over the vulnerable adult’s assets, then deprive them of the assets or convert the assets by exploiting the services of financial institutions including broker-dealers and investment advisors.3

Possible Changes

State securities regulators, FINRA and the CFPB may begin to incorporate regulatory changes to address this public concern. Advisors that have a reasonable belief that financial exploitation has been attempted or has occurred among their clients may be required to report it to the appropriate regulator and adult protective services agencies. Updates to state and federal rules may also allow advisors to notify any third parties designated by clients of their suspicions of financial exploitation, excepting any third party that are suspected to be the part of the financial exploitation. Finally, state rules may allow advisors to initially delay disbursements from an account of a vulnerable adult for up to 15 business days if, after review, there is suspicion that the disbursement may result in financial exploitation. The advisors may also extend the delay of disbursement for an additional 10 business days at the request of either the state securities regulator or adult protective services.

Crucially, NASAA’s model act grants immunity from administrative or civil liability for advisors when reporting to state regulators and agencies, notifying appropriate third parties, and delaying disbursements based on reasonable suspicions of financial exploitation while acting in good faith. However, the advisor will be required to provide records, including historical records, relevant to the suspected financial exploitation to the state’s adult protective services or law enforcement. As with all things compliance your books and records are very important.

CCO Best Practices

To prepare for dealing with vulnerable adults at your firm AdvisorAssist recommends the best practices of:

  • Train staff to prevent, detect, and respond to elder financial abuse by escalating any suspicious activity to the CCO.
  • Harness technology such as suspicious activity monitoring technology to identify potential financial abuse.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders like custodians, banks, and plan sponsors to identify potentially at-risk clients and trusted third parties acting for the client’s protection
  • Document, validate and report suspicious activity to your state regulators or federal agencies.
  • Offer clients the ability to have your firm notify a trusted third party when financial exploitation is suspected.
  • Maintain awareness of any existing rules or changes at your state securities regulator regarding their adoption of rules regarding vulnerable adults.

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    1. See NASAA Members Adopt Model Act at: Link.

    2. See FINRA Regulatory Notice 15-37, October 2015 at: Link.

    3. See Testimony of Judith Shaw, NASAA President before the US Senate Special Committee on Aging at: Link.

    AdvisorAssist News for RIAs is a series of articles that will help your firm understand and prepare for changes that may be occurring on the state or federal level. Our goal is to help you increase your confidence that your firm remains in compliance as well as provide some practical steps to help Chief Compliance Officers address this topic.