✛ Getting licensed

Broker-dealer registration and the FINRA membership process

FINRA new membership applications, broker-dealer and ATS registration, and the compliance architecture that survives a first exam, guided by someone who reviewed these from inside FINRA.

Greenridge L&C Advisors takes firms through broker-dealer registration and the FINRA new membership application (NMA) end to end: the application, the written supervisory procedures, the membership interview, and the compliance program that has to survive the first exam. Our principal was principal counsel for enforcement at FINRA.

What the process involves

The NMA is where most first-time applicants stall. We run it as a project with a defined path.

  • FINRA New Membership Applications (NMA) end to end
  • Broker-dealer and ATS registration
  • Written supervisory procedures and compliance manuals
  • Financial and Operations Principal (FinOp) support and continuing filings

Why the inside view matters

We have read these applications and examined these firms from the regulator's side, so we know what a reviewer is actually looking for and where applications get sent back. See how the FINRA NMA works.

Common questions

How long does a FINRA new membership application take?
FINRA has statutory review periods, but the practical timeline depends heavily on how complete and coherent the application is. A well-prepared NMA moves; a thin one draws rounds of questions. We prepare it to move.
Do you provide the required written supervisory procedures?
Yes, we design WSPs and the surrounding compliance program to match your business and stand up to a first exam. See written supervisory procedures.

Bring us the letter.

Exam notice, deficiency letter, comment letter, or an application that has stalled. Tell us where you are and we will tell you what happens next. A first conversation is free and without obligation.

Bring us the letter →