[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 127 (Thursday, July 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36279-36280]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-17560]
[[Page 36279]]
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Existing Collection; Comment Request
Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange
Commission, Office of Filings and Information Services, 450 5th Street,
NW, Washington, DC 20549
Extension: Rule 3a-4, SEC File No. 270-401, OMB Control No. 3235-0459;
Form N-8B-2, SEC File No. 270-186, OMB Control No. 3235-0186
Notice is hereby given that pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the ``Commission'') is soliciting comments on the
collections of information summarized below. The Commission plans to
submit these existing collections of information to the Office of
Management and Budget (``OMB'') for extension and approval.
Rule 3a-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 [15 U.S.C. 80a]
(``Investment Company Act'' or ``Act'') provides a nonexclusive safe
harbor from the definition of investment company under the Act for
certain investment advisory programs. These programs, which include
``wrap fee'' and ``mutual fund wrap'' programs, generally are designed
to provide professional portfolio management services to clients who
are investing less than the minimum usually required by portfolio
managers but more than the minimum account size of most mutual funds.
Under wrap fee and similar programs, a client's account is typically
managed on a discretionary basis according to pre-selected investment
objectives. Clients with similar investment objectives often receive
the same investment advice and may hold the same or substantially the
same securities in their accounts. Some of these investment advisory
programs may meet the definition of investment company under the Act
because of the similarity of account management.
In 1997, the Commission adopted rule 3a-4, which clarifies that
programs organized and operated in a manner consistent with the
conditions of rule 3a-4 are not required to register under the
Investment Company Act or comply with the Act's requirements.\1\ These
programs differ from investment companies because, among other things,
they provide individualized investment advice to the client. The rule's
provisions have the effect of ensuring that clients in a program
relying on the rule receive advice tailored to the client's needs.
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\1\ Status of Investment Advisory Programs Under the Investment
Company Act of 1940, Investment Company Act Release No. 22579 (Mar.
24, 1977) [62 FR 15098 (Mar. 31, 1997)] (``Adopting Release''). In
addition, there are no registration requirements under section 5 of
the Securities Act of 1933 for these programs. See 17 CFR 270.3a-4,
introductory note.
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Rule 3a-4 provides that each client's account must be managed on
the basis of the client's financial situation and investment objectives
and consistent with any reasonable restrictions the client imposes on
managing the account. When an account is opened, the sponsor \2\ (or
its designee) must obtain information from each client regarding the
client's financial situation and investment objectives, and must allow
the client an opportunity to impose reasonable restrictions on managing
the account.\3\ In addition, the sponsor (or its designee) annually
must contact the client to determine whether the client's financial
situation or investment objectives have changed and whether the client
wishes to impose any reasonable restrictions on the management of the
account or reasonably modify existing restrictions. The sponsor (or its
designee) also must notify the client quarterly, in writing, to contact
the sponsor (or the designee) regarding changes to the client's
financial situation, investment objectives, or restrictions on the
account's management.\4\
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\2\ For purposes of rule 3a-4, the term ``sponsor'' refers to
any person who receives compensation for sponsoring, organizing or
administering the program, or for selecting, or providing advice to
clients regarding the selection of, persons responsible for managing
the client's account in the program.
\3\ Clients specifically must be allowed to designate securities
that should not be purchased for the account or that should be sold
if held in the account. The rule does not require that a client be
able to require particular securities be purchased for the account.
\4\ The sponsor also must provide a means by which clients can
contact the sponsor (or its designee).
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The program must provide each client with a quarterly statement
describing all activity in the client's account during the previous
quarter. The sponsor and personnel of the client's account manager who
know about the client's account and its management must be reasonably
available to consult with the client. Each client also must retain
certain indicia of ownership of all securities and funds in the
account,
Rule 3a-4 is intended primarily to provide guidance regarding the
status of investment advisory programs under the Investment Company
Act. The rule is not intended to create a presumption about a program
that is not operated according to the rule's guidelines.
The requirement that the sponsor (or its designee) obtain
information about the client's financial situation and investment
objectives when the account is opened is designed to ensure that the
investment adviser has sufficient information regarding the client's
unique needs and goals to enable the portfolio manager to provide
individualized investment advice. The sponsor is required to contact
clients annually and provide them with quarterly notices to ensure that
the sponsor has current information about the client's financial
status, investment objectives, and restrictions on management of the
account. Maintaining current information enables the program manager to
evaluate the client's portfolio in light of the client's changing needs
and circumstances. The requirement that clients be provided with
quarterly statements of account activity is designed to ensure the
client receives an individualized report, which the Commission believes
is a key element of individualized advisory services.
The Commission staff estimates that approximately 49 wrap fee and
mutual fund wrap programs administered by 44 program sponsors use the
procedures under rule 3a-4.\5\ Although it is impossible to determine
the exact number of clients that participate in investment advisory
programs, an estimate can be made by dividing total assets by the
minimum account requirement ($139.4 billion \6\ divided by $100,000),
for a total of 1,394,000 clients. In addition, an average number of new
accounts opened each year can be estimated by dividing the average
annual increase in account assets in 1994 through 1997, by the minimum
account requirement ($7.5 billion divided by $100,000, for an average
annual number of new accounts of 75,333.\7\
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\5\ See The Cerulli Report, Asset-Based Strategies: Developments
in the Financial Advisor and Wrap Markets 66 (1997) (statistical
information on wrap fee and mutual fund wrap programs).
\6\ See id. at 63 (estimating amount of assets in wrap fee and
mutual fund wrap programs).
\7\ The requirement for initial client contact and evaluation is
not a recurring obligation, but only occurs when the account is
opened. The estimated annual hourly burden is based on the average
number of new accounts opened each year.
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The Commission staff estimates that each program sponsor spends
approximately one hour annually in preparing, conducting and/or
reviewing interviews for each new client; 30 minutes annually
preparing, conducting and/or reviewing annual interviews for each
continuing client; and one hour preparing and mailing quarterly account
activity statements, including the notice
[[Page 36280]]
to update information to each client. Based on the foregoing, the
Commission staff therefore estimates the total annual burden of the
rule's paperwork requirements for all program sponsors to be
2,128,666.5 hours. This represents an increase of 1,112,666.5 hours
from the prior estimate of 1,016,000 hours. The increase results
primarily from an increase in the amount of assets managed under
investment advisory programs and the resulting increase in the
estimated number of clients in those programs. The increase also
results from a more accurate calculation of certain collection of
information burdens.
Form N-8B-2 is the form used by unit investment trusts (``UITs'')
which are currently issuing securities, including UITs which are
issuers of periodic payment plan certificates and UITs of which a
management investment company is the sponsor or depositor, to comply
with the filing and disclosure requirements imposed by section 8(b) of
the Act. Form N-8B-2 requires disclosure about the organization of a
UIT, its securities, the trustee, the personnel and affiliated persons
of the depositor, the distribution and redemption of securities, and
financial statements. The Commission uses the information provided in
the collection of information to determine compliance with section 8(b)
of the Act.
Based on the Commission's industry statistics, the Commission
estimates that there will be approximately 34 initial filings on Form
N-8B-2 and 11 post-effective amendment filings to the Form. The
Commission estimates that each registrant filing an initial Form N-8B-2
would spend 1,150 hours in preparing and filing the Form and that the
total hour burden for all initial Form N-8B-2 filings is 39,100 hours.
Also, the Commission estimates that each UIT filing a post-effective
amendment to Form N-8B-2 would spend 150 hours in preparing and filing
the amendment and that the total hour burden for all post-effective
amendments to the Form is 1,650 hours. By combining the total hour
burdens estimated for initial Form N-8B-2 filings and post-effective
amendment filings to the Form, the Commission estimates that the total
annual burden hours for all registrants on Form N-8B-2 is 40,750 hours.
The estimate of average burden hours is made solely for the
purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act. The estimate is not derived
from a comprehensive or even a representative survey or study of the
costs of Commission rules and forms.
Written comments are invited on: (a) whether the collections of
information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions
of the Commission, including whether the information has practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's estimate of the burdens
of the collections of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to
minimize the burdens of the collections of information on respondents,
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other
forms of information technology. Consideration will be given to
comments and suggestions submitted in writing within 60 days of this
publication.
Please direct your written comments to Michael E. Bartell,
Associate Executive Director, Office of Information Technology,
Securities and Exchange Commission, Mail Stop 0-4, 450 5th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20549.
Dated: June 22, 1998.
Margaret H. McFarland,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-17560 Filed 7-1-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8010-01-M
