If you attended Ascendant’s 2016 San Diego conference,  you will no doubt remember our outstanding keynote speaker, Jeff Glasbrenner. Jeff is a below-the-knee amputee who was fresh off becoming the first American amputee ever to scale Mount Everest. In San Diego, he spoke about turning challenges into triumphs, and about succeeding in the face of … Continued

The SEC quietly provided additional guidance to the industry about inadvertent custody in supplemental responses to the Custody Rule FAQs. In Question II.11 and II.12, the SEC stated that it would not recommend enforcement against an adviser that does not have a copy of a client’s custodial agreement, and does not know or have reason … Continued

One of the most important assets a firm can possess is a sterling reputation, and maintaining such a reputation involves proactive attention. While most firms address standards of business conduct in their Codes of Ethics, it’s important to periodically reassess and update them. By incorporating technology, firms can mitigate reputational risk and maximize efficiency throughout … Continued

Ascendant has observed more and more investment advisers falling victim to Business Email Compromise, or “BEC” schemes over the past year. Unfortunately, they are in good company, as the trend is consistent with a worldwide increase in such attacks by increasingly skilled hacker networks around the world. On June 10, 2018, the FBI announced in … Continued

The embattled U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein recently spoke to compliance pros at the 2018 Annual Conference for Compliance and Risk Professionals.  Bulleted below are some of the statements from his keynote speech, which evidence the view from near the top of the Department of Justice: As to what it means to have a culture … Continued