The Securities and Exchange Commission rolled out the accredited investor verification requirement and made it principle-based for purposes of Rule 506(c). You have to take reasonable steps to verify that an investor meets the accredited investor standard. In the same release it created four non-exclusive safe harbors that would deemed to be taking “reasonable steps.” The … Read more »
Tag: Accredited Investor
Guidance on Accredited Investor Verification
The Securities and Exchange Commission revised the private placement rules last year to permit public private-placements. Of course it took some prodding from Congress in the JOBS Act to get that change. The law and the new regulation require the issuer to take “reasonable steps” to determine that the investor is an “accredited investor.” The … Read more »
Accredited Investor Verification
When Congress imposed a lifting of the ban on advertisements for private placements, it also imposed a mandate that the fundraiser “take reasonable steps to verify that purchasers of the securities are accredited investors.” The methods for verification were to be determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC, to its credit, did not … Read more »
The Upcoming Changes to the Accredited Investor Standard
Section 413 of the Dodd-Frank Act requires the Securities and Exchange Commission to review the accredited investor definition by July 21, 2014, the fourth anniversary of President Obama’s signing of the law. In a letter to Congressman Scott Garrett, SEC Chair Mary Jo White said that the Commission staff has begun a comprehensive review of the accredited … Read more »
The Confusing Analysis of Whether You Are An Accredited Investor
There are few commentators who think the current definition of “accredited investor” is a particularly good definition for individuals who should be investing in private placements of securities. Basing the standard on income and net worth does give you a perspective that the person could withstand the potential loss of investment. The definition has become … Read more »
What’s Next For Private Funds Now that the SEC has Lifted the Ban on General Solicitation
On Wednesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted a new rule that will allow private funds to advertise. (Perhaps “private fund” is not the right label anymore.) Of course it’s not as simple as merely removing the word “not” and allowing public advertising of private placements. The new rule creates a new option. It creates … Read more »
DOMA, the SEC, and the Accredited Investor
The US Supreme Court ruled on same sex marriages and removed the broad federal definition of marriage that applies to over a thousand laws and regulations. Decision in US v. Windsor (.pdf) One of those regulations is from the Securities and Exchange Commission and affects fundraising for private funds and other private placements. One of … Read more »
Same Sex Marriage and Accredited Investors
The US Supreme Court is likely to come out shortly with its ruling on same sex marriages. The ruling may have an impact on fundraising for private funds and other private placements. One of the standards for private placements of securities is that the investors generally need to meet the definition of “accredited investors.” For … Read more »
Steps to Determine if an Investor is Accredited
Private funds will be able to advertise and solicit for investor, provided all of the investors are “accredited investors.” The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act will dramatically change the way capital raising for private funds operates. The drawback is the loss of 35 non-accredited investors in the fund. That exception has been eliminated. Funds will … Read more »
Accredited Investors and the JOBS Act
The Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act repeals the SEC’s ban on general solicitation and advertising under Rule 506. That is the exemption from registration used by most private fund managers. Is this a good thing? I didn’t like the ban, mostly because it was so broad. The SEC gave little guidance as to what was … Read more »