3142 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 13 / Thursday, January 20, 2022 / Notices 

1Status of Investment Advisory Programs Under 

the Investment Company Act of 1940, Investment 

Company Act Rel. No. 22579 (Mar. 24, 1997) [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 

programs that meet the requirements of rule 3a–4. 

See 17 CFR 270.3a–4, introductory note. 

2For 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. 

3Clients 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. 

4These estimates are based on an analysis of the 

number of individual clients from Form ADV Item 

5D(a)(1) and (b)(1) of advisers that report they 

provide portfolio management to wrap programs as 

indicated in Form ADV Item 5I(2)(b) and (c), and 

the number of individual clients of advisers that 

identify as internet advisers in Form ADV Item 

2A(11). From analysis comparing reported 

individual client assets in Form ADV Item 5D(a)(3) 

and 5D(b)(3) to reported wrap portfolio manager 

assets in Form ADV Item 5I(2)(b) and (c), we 

discount the estimated number of individual clients 

of non-internet advisers providing portfolio 

management to wrap programs by 10%. 

5These estimates are based on the number of new 

clients expected due to average year-over-year 

growth in individual clients from Form ADV Item 

5D(a)(1) and (b)(1) (about 8%) and an assumed rate 

of yearly client turnover of 10%. 

purposes of the PRA, and are not 

derived from a comprehensive or even 

a representative survey or study of the 

costs of SEC rules and forms. 

Compliance with the information 

collection requirements of the rules is 

necessary to obtain the benefit of relying 

on the rules. The information provided 

on Form 1–E and in the offering circular 

will not be kept confidential. An agency 

may not conduct or sponsor, and a 

person is not required to respond to, a 

collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

The public may view the background 

documentation for this information 

collection at the following website, 

www.reginfo.gov. Comments should be 

directed to: (i) Desk Officer for the 

Securities and Exchange Commission, 

Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs, Office of Management and 

Budget, Room 10102, New Executive 

Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, 

or by sending an email to: 

Lindsay.M.Abate@omb.eop.gov; and (ii) 

David Bottom, Director/Chief 

Information Officer, Securities and 

Exchange Commission, c/o John 

Pezzullo, 100 F Street NE, Washington, 

DC 20549 or send an email to: PRA_

Mailbox@sec.gov. Written comments 

and recommendations for the proposed 

information collection should be sent 

within 30 days of publication of this 

notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ 

PRAMain. Find this particular 

information collection by selecting 

‘‘Currently under 30-day Review—Open 

for Public Comments’’ or by using the 

search function. 

Dated: January 14, 2022. 

J. Matthew DeLesDernier, 

Assistant Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2022–01052 Filed 1–19–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE 

COMMISSION 

[SEC File No. 270–401, OMB Control No. 

3235–0459] 

Proposed Collection; Comment 

Request 

Upon Written Request, Copies Available 

From: Securities and Exchange 

Commission, Office of FOIA Services, 

100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 

20549–2736 

Extension: 

Rule 3a–4 

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant 

to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), the Securities 

and Exchange Commission (the 

‘‘Commission’’) is soliciting comments 

on the collection of information 

summarized below. The Commission 

plans to submit this existing collection 

of information to the Office of 

Management and Budget for extension 

and approval. 

Rule 3a–4 (17 CFR 270.3a–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’’ programs, generally are designed to 

provide professional portfolio 

management services on a discretionary 

basis to clients who are investing less 

than the minimum investments for 

individual accounts usually required by 

the investment adviser 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 

similar securities in their accounts. 

Because of this similarity of 

management, some of these investment 

advisory programs may meet the 

definition of investment company under 

the Act. 

In 1997, the Commission adopted rule 

3a–4, which clarifies that programs 

organized and operated in accordance 

with the rule 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. 

For a program to be eligible for the 

rule’s safe harbor, each client’s account 

must be managed on the basis of the 

client’s financial situation and 

investment objectives and in accordance 

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) must contact 

the client annually 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) must also 

notify the client quarterly, in writing, to 

contact the sponsor (or its designee) 

regarding changes to the client’s 

financial situation, investment 

objectives, or restrictions on the 

account’s management. 

Additionally, the sponsor (or its 

designee) 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. 

The Commission staff estimates that 

27,979,460 clients participate each year 

in investment advisory programs relying 

on rule 3a–4.4 Of that number, the staff 

estimates that 2,127,147 are new clients 

and 25,852,313 are continuing clients.5

The staff estimates that each year the 

investment advisory program sponsors’ 

staff engage in 1.5 hours per new client 

and 1 hour per continuing client to 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 13 / Thursday, January 20, 2022 / Notices 3143 

6These estimates are based upon consultation 

with investment advisers that operate investment 

advisory programs that rely on rule 3a–4. 

7The staff bases this estimate in part on the fact 

that, by business necessity, computer records 

already will be available that contain the 

information in the quarterly reports. 

8This estimate is based on the following 

calculation: (25,852,313 continuing clients × 1 

hour) + (2,127,147 new clients × 1.5 hours) + 

(27,979,460 total clients × (0.25 hours × 4 

statements)) = 57,022,493 hours. 

1 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1). 

2 15 U.S.C. 78a. 

3 17 CFR 240.19b–4. 

4See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 51808 

(June 9, 2005), 70 FR 37496, 37499 (June 29, 2005) 

(File No. S7–10–04) (Final Rule) (‘‘Regulation 

NMS’’). 

5See Securities Exchange Act Release No. 61358, 

75 FR 3594, 3597 (January 21, 2010) (File No. S7– 

02–10) (Concept Release on Equity Market 

Structure). 

prepare, conduct and/or review 

interviews regarding the client’s 

financial situation and investment 

objectives as required by the rule.6

Furthermore, the staff estimates that 

each year the investment advisory 

program sponsors’ staff spends 1 hour 

per client to prepare and mail quarterly 

client account statements, including 

notices to update information.7 Based 

on the estimates above, the Commission 

estimates that the total annual burden of 

the rule’s paperwork requirements is 

57,022,493 hours.8

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. An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor, and a person is not required to 

respond to a collection of information 

unless it displays a currently valid 

control number. 

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 David Bottom, c/o John R. Pezzullo, 

Director/Chief Information Officer, 

Securities and Exchange Commission, 

100 F Street NE, Washington, DC 20549; 

or send an email to: PRA_Mailbox@

sec.gov. 

Dated: January 14, 2022. 

J. Matthew DeLesDernier, 

Assistant Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2022–01060 Filed 1–19–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8011–01–P 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE 

COMMISSION 

[Release No. 34–93973; File No. SR– 

NYSEAMER–2021–54] 

Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE 

American LLC; Notice of Filing and 

Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed 

Change To Amend the NYSE American 

Equities Price List and Fee Schedule 

January 13, 2022. 

Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) 1 of the 

Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the 

‘‘Act’’) 2 and Rule 19b–4 thereunder,3

notice is hereby given that, on December 

30, 2021, NYSE American LLC (‘‘NYSE 

American’’ or the ‘‘Exchange’’) filed 

with the Securities and Exchange 

Commission (the ‘‘Commission’’) the 

proposed rule change as described in 

Items I, II, and III below, which Items 

have been prepared by the selfregulatory organization. The 

Commission is publishing this notice to 

solicit comments on the proposed rule 

change from interested persons. 

I. Self-Regulatory Organization’s 

Statement of the Terms of Substance of 

the Proposed Rule Change 

The Exchange proposes to amend 

certain Standard Rates and requirements 

for transaction fees and credits that add 

and remove liquidity in securities at or 

above $1 and reformat the section of the 

NYSE American Equities Price List and 

Fee Schedule (‘‘Price List’’) setting forth 

transactions fees for all transactions 

other than transactions using Retail 

Order Rates, transactions in securities 

below $1, and transactions by an 

Electronic Designated Market Makers 

(‘‘eDMM’’) in assigned securities. The 

Exchange proposes to implement the fee 

changes effective January 3, 2022. The 

proposed change is available on the 

Exchange’s website at www.nyse.com, at 

the principal office of the Exchange, and 

at the Commission’s Public Reference 

Room. 

II. Self-Regulatory Organization’s 

Statement of the Purpose of, and 

Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule 

Change 

In its filing with the Commission, the 

self-regulatory organization included 

statements concerning the purpose of, 

and basis for, the proposed rule change 

and discussed any comments it received 

on the proposed rule change. The text 

of those statements may be examined at 

the places specified in Item IV below. 

The Exchange has prepared summaries, 

set forth in sections A, B, and C below, 

of the most significant parts of such 

statements. 

A. Self-Regulatory Organization’s 

Statement of the Purpose of, and the 

Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule 

Change 

1. Purpose 

The Exchange proposes to amend the 

Standard Rates for transaction fees and 

credits that add and remove liquidity in 

securities at or above $1 and reformat 

the section of the Price List setting forth 

transactions fees for all transactions 

other than transactions using Retail 

Order Rates, transactions in securities 

below $1, and transactions by an eDMM 

in assigned securities. 

The proposed changes respond to the 

current competitive environment where 

order flow providers have a choice of 

where to direct liquidity-providing and 

liquidity-removing orders by offering 

further incentives for ETP Holders to 

send additional adding and removing 

liquidity to the Exchange. 

The Exchange proposes to implement 

the fee changes effective January 3, 

2022. 

Competitive Environment 

The Exchange operates in a highly 

competitive market. The Commission 

has repeatedly expressed its preference 

for competition over regulatory 

intervention in determining prices, 

products, and services in the securities 

markets. In Regulation NMS, the 

Commission highlighted the importance 

of market forces in determining prices 

and SRO revenues and, also, recognized 

that current regulation of the market 

system ‘‘has been remarkably successful 

in promoting market competition in its 

broader forms that are most important to 

investors and listed companies.’’ 4

While Regulation NMS has enhanced 

competition, it has also fostered a 

‘‘fragmented’’ market structure where 

trading in a single stock can occur 

across multiple trading centers. When 

multiple trading centers compete for 

order flow in the same stock, the 

Commission has recognized that ‘‘such 

competition can lead to the 

fragmentation of order flow in that 

stock.’’ 5 Indeed, cash equity trading is 

currently dispersed across 16 


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