For private fund managers, one troubling aspect of Form ADV had been the calculation of “assets under management” in item 5.F. If securities are less than 50% of the portfolio then the portfolio would not be a securities account.
Except for real estate debt funds, most real estate funds would end up with $0. (I’m not sure whether that would mean you do not have to register since you are then not giving advice for a securities portfolio or whether that would push you into state registration.)
As a private equity fund or real estate fund purchased assets and sold assets, the manager could be ping-ponged in and out of SEC registration.
In the Proposed Changes to Form ADV published on November 19, the SEC has proposed revisions to Form ADV that better addresses the reality pf private funds.
In the proposed changes, the SEC has come up with a new method for calculating values that makes much more sense for private funds.
5(b)(4). Determine your regulatory assets under management based on the current market value of the assets as determined within 90 days prior to the date of filing this Form ADV. Determine market value using the same method you used to report account values to clients or to calculate fees for investment advisory services.
In the case of a private fund, determine the current market value (or fair value) of the private fund’s assets and the contractual amount of any uncalled commitment pursuant to which a person is obligated to acquire an interest in, or make a capital contribution to, the private fund.
In the release, the SEC states the an adviser should include “in its regulatory assets under management the value of any private fund over which it exercises continuous and regular supervisory or management services, regardless of the nature of the assets held by the fund.”
This calculation makes it very clear that private fund managers with even a small amount of securities in their funds are going to be forced to register with either the SEC or their state regulators as an investment adviser.
Sources:
- Release No. IA-3110
- Appendix A: Form ADV: General Instructions
- Appendix B: Form ADV: Instructions for Part 1A
- Appendix C: Form ADV: Glossary of Terms
- Appendix D: Form ADV, Part 1A
- Appendix E: Form ADV Execution Pages
- Appendix F: Form ADV-H
- Appendix G: Form ADV-NR
- Submit comments on S7-36-10
- What is a Security? Is Real Estate a Security? – prior post on Compliance Building
- Is a Fund Manager an Investment Adviser?– prior post on Compliance Building
- Yes, The SEC Wants Real Estate Fund Managers to Register – prior post on Compliance Building
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