102.01
DEFINITIONS.
When the terms listed below are used in the Act, Arkansas Code Sections 23-42-101 through 509, these Rules, the forms, and the instructions and orders of the Commissioner, the following definitions shall apply (unless the context indicates otherwise), together with the definitions which may hereinafter appear, to the extent that they are not inconsistent with the definitions provided in Section 23-42-102 of the Act.
(1)
ACCESS TO OR FURNISHING OF INFORMATION. Access to or furnishing of information can only exist by reason of the purchaser's position with respect to the issuer or seller. Position means an employment or family relationship or economic bargaining power that enables the purchaser to obtain information from the issuer or seller in order to evaluate the merits and risks of a prospective investment. In any event, each purchaser or his legal, financial or other representative(s), or both, shall have access to or have been furnished during the course of the transaction and prior to the sale, by the issuer or any person acting on its behalf, or the seller or any person acting on its behalf, the same kind of information that is required by a registration under the Act, to the extent that the issuer or seller possesses the information or can acquire it without reasonable effort or expense. This condition shall be deemed to be satisfied if the purchaser or his legal, financial or other representative(s) is furnished with information, either in the form of documents actually filed with the Commissioner or otherwise. The issuer or seller shall make available, during the course of the transaction and prior to sale, to each purchaser or his legal, financial or other representative(s) or both, the opportunity to ask questions of, and receive answers from, the issuer or seller, or any person acting on the issuer's or seller's behalf, concerning the terms and conditions of the offering and to obtain any additional information, to the extent that the issuer or seller possesses the information or can acquire it without unreasonable effort or expense, necessary to verify the accuracy of the information obtained. Audited, unaudited or other financial statements must be sworn to with a statement from a responsible representative of the issuer as follows: "To the best of my knowledge and belief these financial statements and supporting schedules or documents of the issuer are true, correct and fairly represent the financial position of the issuer."
(2)
ACCREDITED INVESTOR. See definition of "Accredited Investor" found in SEC Rule 501 of Regulation D, promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, 17 C.F.R. §
230.501.
(3)
ACT. The Arkansas Securities Act, as amended, codified at Arkansas Code Sections 23-42-101 through 509.
(4)
ADVISORY AFFILIATE. A person that directly or indirectly controls or is controlled by a person who either is registered as an investment adviser or has filed an application to become registered as an investment adviser, including any current employee except one performing only clerical, administrative, support or similar functions.
(5)
AFFILIATE. The term "affiliate" of or "affiliated" with a person means a person that directly or indirectly through one (1) or more intermediaries' controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with the person.
(6)
APA. The Arkansas Administrative Procedures Act ("APA"), as amended, codified at Arkansas Code Sections 25-15-201 through 25-15-219.
(7)
APPLICANT. A person who submits an application for registration of securities, for an exemption procedure or for registration as a broker-dealer, broker-dealer agent, agent of the issuer, investment adviser, or investment adviser representative who files an application for an order of the Commissioner.
(8)
APPLICATION. The form prescribed by the Commissioner for filing in connection with the registration of securities, for an exemption procedure and as a broker-dealer, broker-dealer agent, agent of the issuer, investment adviser, or investment adviser representative, including all amendments, papers, documents and exhibits incidental thereto.
(9)
CLIENT. For purposes of Sections 23-42-102(8)(E)(ii) of the Act, the following shall be deemed a single client:
(A) A natural person, and:
(i) Any minor child of the natural person;
(ii) Any relative, spouse, or relative of the spouse of the natural person who has the same principal residence;
(iii) All accounts of which the natural person and/or the persons referred to in this subsection (A) are the only primary beneficiaries; and
(iv) All trusts of which the natural person and/or the persons referred to in this subsection (A) are the only primary beneficiaries;
(B) A corporation, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, trust (other than a trust referred to in Rule 102.01(9)(A)(iv) above), or other legal organization that receives investment advice based on its investment objectives rather than the individual investment objectives of its shareholders, partners, limited partners, members, or beneficiaries, or any two (2) or more legal organizations that have identical owners, provided however, an owner must be counted as a client if the investment adviser provides investment advisory services to the owner separate and apart from the investment advisory services provided to the legal organization, and a limited partnership shall be deemed a client of any general partner or other person acting as investment adviser to the partnership.
(10)
COMMISSIONER. The Arkansas Securities Commissioner.
(11)
CONTROL. Including the terms "controlling," "controlled by," and "under common control with," means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a person, whether through the ownership of securities, by contract, or otherwise. Control of a person is presumed when any individual or firm does the following:
(A) Is a director, partner or officer exercising executive responsibility or has a similar status or performs similar functions;
(B) Directly or indirectly has the right to vote twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the voting securities of a person; or
(C) Is entitled to twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the profits of a person.
(12)
CONTROL AFFILIATE. Any person that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or under common control with an applicant or registrant, including any current employee except one performing only clerical, administrative, support or similar functions, or who, regardless of title, performs no executive duties or has no senior policy making authority.
(13)
CRD. The Central Registration Depository operated by FINRA.
(14)
CUSTODY. Holding, directly or indirectly, client funds or securities, having any authority to obtain possession of them, or having the ability to appropriate them. An investment adviser has custody if a related person, as defined in Rule 307.02, holds, directly or indirectly, client funds or securities, or has any authority to obtain possession of them, in connection with advisory services the investment adviser provides to clients.
(A) Custody includes the following:
(i) Possession of client funds or securities unless the investment adviser receives them inadvertently and returns them to the sender promptly but in any case within three (3) business days of receiving them;
(ii) Any arrangement (including a general power of attorney) under which the investment adviser is authorized or permitted to withdraw client funds or securities maintained with a custodian upon the investment adviser's instruction to the custodian; and
(iii) Any capacity, such as general partner of a limited partnership, managing member of a limited liability company or a comparable position for another type of pooled investment vehicle, or trustee of a trust, that gives the investment adviser or its supervised person legal ownership of or access to client funds or securities.
(B) Receipt of checks drawn by clients and made payable to third parties will not meet the definition of custody if forwarded to the third party within three (3) business days of receipt and the investment adviser maintains a record of the transfer.
(15)
CUSTOMER. The person being charged a commission or fee, being rendered a service, being sold a security, being solicited to sell a security, or receiving investment advice. However, the term "customer" shall not include the broker-dealer or investment adviser charging the commission or fee, offering the services, or rendering the investment advice.
(16)
DEPARTMENT. The Arkansas Securities Department.
(17)
DISCRETION OR DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY. The authority that an investment adviser or broker-dealer possesses by virtue of a limited power of attorney or other grant of authority enabling the investment adviser or broker-dealer to determine what securities shall be purchased or sold by or for an account, or make decisions as to what securities or other property shall be purchased or sold by or for an account even though some other person may have responsibility for the investment decisions. A firm also has discretionary authority if it has the authority to decide which investment advisers to retain on behalf of the client.
(18)
ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS OF EFFECTING TRANSACTIONS IN SECURITIES. As used in Section 23-42-102(2) of the Act, the term "engaged in the business of effecting transactions in securities," includes any person who holds himself out as being able to effect transactions in securities for the accounts of others or for his own account regardless of whether any transactions have actually been effected. The term shall not include a business broker who, as part of the facilitation of the sale of business, including securities of the business, takes a fee provided all of the following conditions are met:
(A) The business broker has a limited role in negotiations between the purchaser and the seller;
(B) The businesses represented by the business broker are going concerns and are not "shell" organizations;
(C) Only assets are advertised or otherwise offered for sale by the business broker;
(D) Transactions effected by means of securities convey all of the business' equity to a single purchaser or group of purchasers formed without the assistance of the business broker;
(E) The business broker does not advise the parties whether to issue securities or assess the value of any securities sold;
(F) The business broker's compensation does not vary according to the form of conveyance the parties agree to; and
(G) The business broker does not assist purchasers in obtaining financing other than to provide to a party a list of potential lenders.
(19)
EXEMPTED OR EXEMPTION. Securities or transactions meeting the requirements of Section 23-42-503 or Section 23-42-504 of the Act, and the applicable Rules, are exempt from the registration requirements contained in Section 23-42-501 and Section 23-42-502 of the Act. These securities or transactions are not exempted from any other provisions of the Act or applicable Rules.
(20)
FINRA. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
(21)
FORMS. See Rule 204.01(c).
(22)
IARD. The Investment Adviser Registration Depository operated by FINRA.
(23)
INDICATIONS OF INTEREST. Communications and/or actions on the part of a customer, or the solicitation thereof, that give rise to the inference that the customer may purchase the yet-to-be issued securities.
(24)
INVESTMENT INTENT. Securities purchased under the Act and Rules with "investment intenf cannot be purchased with a view to, or for resale in connection with any sale or hypothecation. Securities purchased with investment intent cannot be disposed of unless the securities are registered under the Act or, in the opinion of counsel for the issuer, an exemption from the registration requirements of the Act is available. As a result, the purchaser of these securities must be prepared to bear the economic risk of the investment for an indefinite period of time and have no need of liquidity of the investment. Where securities are purchased under the Act for investment, investment intent shall be presumed if the purchaser retains the securities for one year from the date of consummation of the sale. However, any disposition of the securities within one year of the date of purchase, in the absence of an unforeseeable change of circumstances, shall create a presumption that the person did not purchase the securities with investment intent.
(25)
LIFE SETTLEMENT CONTRACT. An agreement for the purchase, sale, assignment, transfer, devise, or bequest of any portion of the death benefit or ownership of a life insurance policy or certificate for consideration that is less than the expected death benefit of the life insurance policy or certificate. Life settlement contract does not include the following:
(A) The assignment, transfer, sale, devise or bequest of a death benefit, life insurance policy or certificate of insurance by the insured to the life settlement provider pursuant to the Life Settlements Act, Ark. Code Ann. Sections 23-81-801 through 23-81-818;
(B) The assignment, transfer, sale, devise or bequest of a life insurance policy, for any value less than the expected death benefit, by the insured to a friend or family member who enters into no more than one such agreement in a calendar year;
(C) An assignment of a life insurance policy to a bank, savings bank, savings and loan association, credit union or other licensed lending institution as collateral for a loan; or
(D) The exercise of accelerated benefits pursuant to the terms of the Arkansas Insurance Code and of the life insurance policy.
(26)
MSRB. Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.
(27)
NASAA. North American Securities Administrators Association, Inc.
(28)
NOTICE FILING. A filing made pursuant to Section 23-42-301(c)(1) of the Act in the case of investment advisers, and Section 23-42-509 of the Act in the case of persons issuing or offering securities.
(29)
OFFER OR OFFER TO SELL. For the purposes of Sections 23-42-501 and 23-42-502 of the Act, the term "offer" or "offer to sell" as defined in Section 23-42-102(13)(A)(ii) of the Act shall not include negotiations, agreements or similar communications with respect to a proposed reorganization provided the negotiations, agreements or similar communications are incidental to the formulation of a proposal of a reorganization and, except for the merger of a subsidiary entity into its parent, a vote of approval and consent of security holders is required to effectuate the proposed transactions.
(30)
PARENT. An affiliate controlling another person.
(31)
PLACE OF BUSINESS. The term "place of business" means the following:
(A) Any office or other location at or from which an investment adviser, investment adviser representative, broker-dealer, or agent regularly provides investment advisory or broker-dealer services, solicits, meets with, or otherwise communicates with clients; and
(B) Any other location that is held out to the general public as a location at which the investment adviser, investment adviser representative, broker-dealer, or agent provides investment advisory or broker-dealer services, solicits, meets with, or otherwise communicates with clients.
(32)
PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS. The executive office of a registrant from which the officers, partners, or managers of the registrant direct, control, and coordinate the activities of the registrant.
(33)
PROMOTER. A person who, acting alone or in conjunction with others, takes the initiative in founding, organizing or incorporating the business or enterprise. A promoter does not include a lawyer or accountant acting as an independent contractor.
(34)
PROOF OF EXEMPTION. "Proof of Exemption" as used in Sections 23 -42-503(d) and 23-42-504(b) of the Act shall mean the filing made by an applicant, together with any supporting documents and written statements of the applicant as set forth in the appropriate Rule, whereby the applicant describes his expected conduct during the exemption process and demonstrates his disclosure and antifraud responsibilities required in order to qualify for the exemption. A proof of exemption is not in and of itself an exemption. It is merely the filing by which an applicant requests the Commissioner not to withdraw the availability of use of the exemption based on the applicant's demonstration of his recognition of the technical requirements necessary to qualify.
(35)
PUBLIC ADVERTISING. Any form of general solicitation, offer, invitation to invest, or other writing that could be easily understood to be designed to attract investors, general advertising or any other communication directed to persons whose background is unknown to the communicant, including, but not limited to, the following:
(A) Any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine, or similar medium or broadcast over television, radio or other electronic media;
(B) Any seminar or meeting or invitation to or promotion of a meeting or seminar;
(C) Any letter, circular, handbill, notice or other written communication;
(D) Any solicitation by telephone or other electronic media; or
(E) A solicitation that is maintained on or disseminated by way of any webpage, site on the Internet, or other electronic posting.
(36)
PURCHASER. For purposes of computing the number of purchasers, offerees, investors, or subscribers, a husband and wife who purchase or contemplate purchasing in the joint names of both spouses shall be deemed to be one offer or sale.
(37)
REGISTRANT. An applicant for whom a registration has been declared effective.
(38)
RESTRICTIVE LEGEND. An appropriate restrictive legend shall conform to the NASAA Uniform Disclosure Guidelines for Cover Legends.
(39)
REORGANIZATION. Any merger, consolidation, reclassification of securities, sale of assets in consideration of the issuance of securities of another person, exchange of outstanding securities for the issuance of securities or assets of another person, or other similar reorganization, pursuant to applicable statutory provisions of the jurisdiction under which the corporation or other person is organized, or pursuant to the provisions of its Articles of Incorporation or similar controlling instrument, which the approval or consent of the security holders is required to effectuate, or any merger of a subsidiary entity into its parent where a vote, approval or consent is not required by the applicable statute.
(40)
RULES. The Rules of the Arkansas Securities Commissioner.
(41)
SEC. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
(42)
SPONSOR. A person or a member of the immediate family of a person who acts as a general partner, manager or management company of a program including an affiliate of, or a person associated with, a sponsor, except as otherwise provided.
(43)
SUBSIDIARY. An affiliate controlled by another person.
(44)
STAFF. The Staff of the Arkansas Securities Department.
(45)
TRANSACT BUSINESS. As used in Sections 23-42-301(a) and 23-42-301(c) of the Act, the term "transact business" includes representing a person or entity as being able to effect transactions in securities for the account of others or for his or her own account regardless of whether any transactions have actually been effected, or being able to serve as an investment adviser regardless of whether any investment advice or service has actually been rendered. The term shall not include communications, postings, or distributions of information set forth on the Internet or other mass media outlet if each of the following conditions are met:
(A) The Internet or other mass media outlet communication contains a legend in which the following is clearly stated:
(i) The broker-dealer, investment adviser, broker-dealer agent, agent of the issuer, or investment adviser representative in question may only transact business in this state if first registered, or exempted from registration as a broker-dealer, investment adviser, broker-dealer agent, agent of the issuer, or investment adviser representative, whichever is applicable; and
(ii) Follow-up, individualized responses to persons in this state by a broker-dealer, investment adviser, broker-dealer agent, agent of the issuer, or investment adviser representative that involve either the effecting of or the attempt to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation or attempt to render advice, as may be, will not be made absent compliance with state broker-dealer, investment adviser, broker-dealer agent, agent of the issuer, or investment adviser representative requirements, or an applicable exemption;
(B) The Internet or other mass media outlet communication contains a mechanism, including and without limitation, technical "firewalls" or other implemented policies and procedures, designed reasonably to ensure that prior to any subsequent, direct communication with prospective customers or clients in this state, the broker-dealer, investment adviser, agent of the issuer, broker-dealer agent, or investment adviser representative is first registered in this state or is exempt from registration under the Act. Nothing in this Rule shall be construed to relieve a broker-dealer, investment adviser, broker-dealer agent, agent of the issuer, or investment adviser representative from any applicable securities registration requirements in this state;
(C) The Internet or other mass media outlet communication does not involve either effecting or attempting to effect transactions in securities, or rendering of or attempting to render personalized investment advice for compensation, as may be, in this state over the Internet, but is limited to the dissemination of general information on products and services; and
(D) In the case of an agent or representative:
(i) The affiliation with the broker-dealer or investment adviser of the agent, or representative is prominently disclosed within the communication;
(ii) The broker-dealer or investment adviser with which the agent or representative is associated retains responsibility for reviewing and approving the content of any Internet or other mass media outlet communication by the agent or representative;
(iii) The broker-dealer or investment adviser with which the agent or representative is associated first authorizes the distribution of information on the particular products and services through the Internet or other mass media outlet communication; and
(iv) In disseminating information through the Internet or other mass media outlet communication, the agent or representative acts within the scope of the authority granted by the broker-dealer or investment adviser with which the agent or representative is associated.
(46)
UNDERWRITER. Any person who has purchased from an issuer with a view to, or offers or sells for an issuer in connection with, the distribution of any security, or participates or has a direct or indirect participation in any such undertaking, or participates or has a participation in the direct or indirect underwriting of any such undertaking; but the term shall not include a person whose interest is limited to a commission from an underwriter or broker-dealer not in excess of the usual and customary distributors' or sellers' commission.