Financial Advisors Want to Know: Key Compliance Missteps and How to Avoid Them Ep. 85 Kent Keister

Welcome to the Financial Advisors Want to Know Podcast, I’m Catherine Tindall a CPA with Dominion where our focus is helping financial advisors navigate income tax planning and compliance for their firms.

Kent Keister is the founder of Reliant Compliance, launched in 2020 to provide tailored, common-sense compliance solutions to RIAs across the U.S. With over 20 years in financial services compliance, Kent has served as a Senior RIA Consultant, CCO, Director of Compliance, and more—working with SEC- and State-Registered RIAs, hybrids, broker-dealers, and dual registrants.

Key Takeaways:
Understand Compliance vs. Business Growth: Compliance doesn't have to be an obstacle to growth; when properly managed, it can actually strengthen your firm.

Common Missteps: Advisors often make the mistake of not updating compliance manuals or documents, which can leave them exposed.

The Challenges of Going Independent: Transitioning from a wirehouse or broker-dealer to an independent RIA requires careful consideration, particularly when it comes to compliance responsibilities.

Off-Channel Communications: Texting, emails, and Zoom calls need to be documented properly to stay compliant with regulatory standards. Compliance doesn't mean restricting communication; it's about managing it correctly.

The Importance of Clear, Consistent Documentation: Inconsistent documentation—like mismatched terms between your website, ADV forms, and client agreements—can lead to significant compliance issues.

Connect with Kent:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kent-keister/
https://reliantcompliance.com

Connect with Catherine:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ctindallcpa/

Sign-up for our newsletter:
https://dominion-enterprise-services.kit.com/9944b047d9

Contact Catherine's Team:
admin@dominiones.com

Looking for a more holistic relationship with your taxes? Book 15 minutes to have a coffee chat with Catherine to see if you could be doing more: https://calendly.com/ctindall/podcast-getting-to-know-you

Sign-up for our newsletter for the only tax update you’ll need to read and future episodes here and how to get in touch with Catherine: https://dominion-enterprise-services.ck.page/9944b047d9

Visit us at DominionEs.com

Connect with Catherine on LinkedIn