Requirements · Financial services

SEC Rule 17a-4 and FINRA Rule 4511 (books and records)

5 Moraph products list it under “Requirements it supports”. The products support this requirement; meeting it remains your organization’s responsibility.

About the rule

What it is

SEC Rule 17a-4 (17 CFR 240.17a-4) sets how long broker-dealers must keep their books and records and how they may keep them electronically: in a non-rewriteable, non-erasable format or, since amendments adopted in 2022, on a system that keeps a complete time-stamped audit trail. FINRA Rule 4511 requires FINRA member firms to make and keep the books and records that FINRA rules and the Securities Exchange Act require, in a format that meets Rule 17a-4.

Source: 17 CFR 240.17a-4 (eCFR). SEC Rule 17a-4 in the glossary. This summary is for orientation only; read the rule itself or ask your counsel for what it requires of you.

Moraph’s Trust Center lists “SEC 17a-4 / FINRA” among the frameworks its controls are mapped to: “WORM archiving and supervision configured for broker-dealer recordkeeping rules.” It also states: “Moraph does not hold a certification or authorization for any framework in this list; where a client needs its own authorization or examination, we provide the control mapping and evidence to support it.”

Citations

How the products cite it

The exact wording on the product pages, with how many products use each.

  • FINRA Rule 4511 (General Requirements for books and records) 1 product
  • SEC Rule 17a-4 (17 CFR 240.17a-4), including the electronic recordkeeping requirements of paragraph (f) 1 product
  • SEC Rule 17a-4 (broker-dealer records preservation) 1 product
  • SEC Rule 17a-4 and FINRA Rule 4511 (books and records) 1 product
  • SEC Rule 17a-4 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 1 product
  • SEC Rules 17a-3 and 17a-4 (broker-dealer books and records) 1 product

For what it requires of your organization, read the rule itself or ask your counsel. SEC Rule 17a-4 in the glossary.

Products

The 5 products that support it

  • Financial ServicesManaged platform

    Communication Archiving

    WORM (Write Once, Read Many) storage for email/Slack supporting SEC Rule 17a-4(f) "Books and Records" requirements. Recordkeeping and supervision obligations remain your firm's.

    Lists:

    • SEC Rule 17a-4 (17 CFR 240.17a-4), including the electronic recordkeeping requirements of paragraph (f)
    • FINRA Rule 4511 (General Requirements for books and records)
    Product details and demo
  • Financial ServicesManaged platform

    Mobile Device Management

    "Containerized" corporate apps on advisor personal phones, allowing selective wipe of business data.

    Lists:

    • SEC Rule 17a-4 and FINRA Rule 4511 (books and records)
    Product details and demo
  • Financial ServicesMoraph SaaS

    Reg BI (Regulation Best Interest) Tracker

    Records each recommendation to a retail customer with the alternatives considered, costs, disclosures and supervisory review, in support of a broker-dealer’s Regulation Best Interest compliance.

    Lists:

    • SEC Rules 17a-3 and 17a-4 (broker-dealer books and records)
    Product details and demo
  • Financial ServicesMoraph SaaS

    Trade Reconstruction Repository

    Links voice calls, emails, and chat logs to specific trade executions to support "Best Execution" reviews and MiFID II record-keeping. Best execution judgments remain the firm's.

    Lists:

    • SEC Rule 17a-4 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
    Product details and demo
  • Financial ServicesManaged platform

    Voice Recording Compliance

    Recording trader turret phones and mobile calls, timestamped and indexed for compliance.

    Lists:

    • SEC Rule 17a-4 (broker-dealer records preservation)
    Product details and demo

Not sure which requirements apply to you? Request a gap analysis. All requirements: Requirements our products support.

More financial services requirements