SEC Approves Amendments to Codes of Arbitration Procedure to Require Redaction of Personal Confidential Information from Documents Filed With FINRA Dispute Resolution

Regulatory Notice 14-27

SEC Approves Amendments to Codes of Arbitration Procedure to Require Redaction of Personal Confidential Information from Documents Filed With FINRA Dispute Resolution

Effective Date: July 28, 2014

Executive Summary

The SEC approved amendments to the Customer and Industry Codes of Arbitration Procedure to provide that any document that a party files with FINRA that contains an individual’s Social Security number, taxpayer identification number or financial account number must be redacted to include only the last four digits of any of these numbers.1 The amendments apply only to documents filed with FINRA. They do not apply to documents that parties exchange with each other or submit to the arbitrators at a hearing on the merits. In addition, the amendments do not apply to cases administered under the Simplified Arbitration rules.

The amendments are effective on July 28, 2014, for all documents filed with FINRA on or after the effective date.

The text of the amendments is set forth in Attachment A.

Questions concerning this Notice should be directed to:

• Richard W. Berry, Senior Vice President and Director of Case Administration, Operations, and Regional Office Services, Dispute Resolution, at (212) 858-4307; or
• Margo A. Hassan, Assistant Chief Counsel, Dispute Resolution, at (212) 858-4481.