§ 275.203A-2 Exemptions from prohibition on Commission registration. The prohibition of section 203A(a) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 80b-3a(a)) does not apply to: ( a ) *Pension consultants.* ( 1 ) An investment adviser that is a “pension consultant,” as defined in this section, with respect to assets of plans having an aggregate value of at least $200,000,000.
( 2 ) An investment adviser is a pension consultant, for purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, if the investment adviser provides investment advice to: ( i ) Any employee benefit plan described in section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) [29 U.S.C. 1002(3)];
( ii ) Any governmental plan described in section 3(32) of ERISA (29 U.S.C. 1002(32)); or
( iii ) Any church plan described in section 3(33) of ERISA (29 U.S.C. 1002(33)).
( 3 ) In determining the aggregate value of assets of plans, include only that portion of a plan's assets for which the investment adviser provided investment advice (including any advice with respect to the selection of an investment adviser to manage such assets). Determine the aggregate value of assets by cumulating the value of assets of plans with respect to which the investment adviser was last employed or retained by contract to provide investment advice during a 12-month period ended within 90 days of filing an annual updating amendment to Form ADV (17 CFR 279.1).
( b ) *Investment advisers controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment adviser registered with the Commission.* An investment adviser that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, an investment adviser eligible to register, and registered with, the Commission (“registered adviser”), provided that the principal office and place of business of the investment adviser is the same as that of the registered adviser. For purposes of this paragraph, control means the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of an investment adviser, whether through ownership of securities, by contract, or otherwise. Any person that directly or indirectly has the right to vote 25 percent or more of the voting securities, or is entitled to 25 percent or more of the profits, of an investment adviser is presumed to control that investment adviser.
( c ) *Investment advisers expecting to be eligible for Commission registration within 120 Days.* An investment adviser that: ( 1 ) Immediately before it registers with the Commission, is not registered or required to be registered with the Commission or a state securities authority of any State and has a reasonable expectation that it would be eligible to register with the Commission within 120 days after the date the investment adviser's registration with the Commission becomes effective;
( 2 ) Indicates on Schedule D of its Form ADV (17 CFR 279.1) that it will withdraw from registration with the Commission if, on the 120th day after the date the investment adviser's registration with the Commission becomes effective, the investment adviser would be prohibited by section 203A(a) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 80b-3a(a)) from registering with the Commission; and
( 3 ) Notwithstanding § 275.203A-1(b)(2) of this chapter, files a completed Form ADV-W (17 CFR 279.2) withdrawing from registration with the Commission within 120 days after the date the investment adviser's registration with the Commission becomes effective.
( d ) *Multi-state investment advisers.* An investment adviser that: ( 1 ) Upon submission of its application for registration with the Commission, is required by the laws of 15 or more States to register as an investment adviser with the state securities authority in the respective States, and thereafter would, but for this section, be required by the laws of at least 15 States to register as an investment adviser with the state securities authority in the respective States;
( 2 ) Elects to rely on paragraph (d) of this section by: ( i ) Indicating on Schedule D of its Form ADV that the investment adviser has reviewed the applicable State and federal laws and has concluded that, in the case of an application for registration with the Commission, it is required by the laws of 15 or more States to register as an investment adviser with the state securities authorities in the respective States or, in the case of an amendment to Form ADV, it would be required by the laws of at least 15 States to register as an investment adviser with the state securities authorities in the respective States, within 90 days prior to the date of filing Form ADV; and
( ii ) Undertaking on Schedule D of its Form ADV to withdraw from registration with the Commission if the adviser indicates on an annual updating amendment to Form ADV that the investment adviser would be required by the laws of fewer than 15 States to register as an investment adviser with the state securities authority in the respective States, and that the investment adviser would be prohibited by section 203A(a) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 80b-3a(a)) from registering with the Commission, by filing a completed Form ADV-W within 180 days of the adviser's fiscal year end (unless the adviser then is eligible for SEC registration); and
( 3 ) Maintains in an easily accessible place a record of the States in which the investment adviser has determined it would, but for the exemption, be required to register for a period of not less than five years from the filing of a Form ADV that includes a representation that is based on such record.
( e ) *Internet investment advisers.* ( 1 ) An investment adviser that: ( i ) Provides investment advice to all of its clients exclusively through an operational interactive website at all times during which the investment adviser relies on this paragraph (e);
( ii ) Maintains, in an easily accessible place, for a period of not less than five years from the filing of a Form ADV that includes a representation that the adviser is eligible to register with the Commission under this paragraph (e), a record demonstrating that it provides investment advice to its clients exclusively through an operational interactive website in accordance with the limits in paragraph (e)(1)(i) of this section; and
( iii ) Does not control, is not controlled by, and is not under common control with, another investment adviser that registers with the Commission under paragraph (b) of this section solely in reliance on the adviser registered under this paragraph (e) as its registered adviser.
( 2 ) For purposes of this paragraph (e), “operational interactive website” means a website, mobile application, or similar digital platform through which the investment adviser provides digital investment advisory services on an ongoing basis to more than one client (except during temporary technological outages of a *de minimis* duration). For purposes of this rule, “digital investment advisory service” is investment advice to clients that is generated by the operational interactive website's software-based models, algorithms, or applications based on personal information each client supplies through the operational interactive website.
( 3 ) An investment adviser may rely on the definition of *client* in § 275.202(a)(30)-1 in determining whether it is eligible to rely on this paragraph (e).
[62 FR 28133, May 22, 1997, as amended at 63 FR 39715, 39716, July 24, 1998; 65 FR 57450, Sept. 22, 2000; 67 FR 77625, Dec. 18, 2003; 76 FR 43012, July 19, 2011; 89 FR 24712, Apr. 9, 2024]