Hedge Funds, Mutual Funds and ETFs: May 2010 Archives

The Senate bill requires hedge funds to register with the SEC as investment advisers and raises the assets threshold for federal regulation of investment advisers from $25 million to $100 million, a move expected to increase the number of advisors under state supervision by 28%. According to the Senate bill, the SEC may require any investment adviser registered with the SEC to maintain such records and file such reports as necessary and appropriate in the public interest and for the protection of investors, or for the assessment of systemic risk by the Agency for Financial Stability. This data will be shared with the Agency for Financial Stability. The records and reports required to be filed with the SEC shall include a description of: 1) the amount of assets under management and the use of leverage; 2) counterparty credit risk exposure; 3) trading and investment positions; 4) valuation methodologies of the fund; 5) types of assets held; 6) side arrangements whereby certain investors in a fund obtain more favorable rights or entitlements than other investors; 7) trading practices; and, 8) such other information as the SEC, in consultation with the Agency for Financial Stability, deems necessary and appropriate in the public interest and for the protection of investors or for the assessment of systemic risk. Further, the SEC shall conduct periodic inspections and other inspections prescribed as necessary by the SEC of all records maintained by an investment adviser registered with the SEC.