NOTE: Offers of Settlement (OS) and Letters of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC) are entered into by Respondents without admitting or denying the allegations, but consent is given to the described sanctions and to the entry of findings.

FINANCIAL INDUSTRY REGULATORY AUTHORITY
FINRA
NASD Rule 2370

 Borrowing From or Lending to Customers

 

(a) No person associated with a member in any registered capacity may borrow money from or lend money to any customer of such person unless: 

(1) the member has written procedures allowing the borrowing and lending of money between such registered persons and customers of the member; and 

(2) the lending or borrowing arrangement meets one of the following conditions: 

(A) the customer is a member of such person's immediate family

(B) the customer is a financial institution regularly engaged in the business of providing credit, financing, or loans, or other entity or person that regularly arranges or extends credit in the ordinary course of business; 

(C) the customer and the registered person are both registered persons of the same member firm; 

(D) the lending arrangement is based on a personal relationship with the customer, such that the loan would not have been solicited, offered, or given had the customer and the associated person not maintained a relationship outside of the broker/customer relationship; or 

(E) the lending arrangement is based on a business relationship outside of the broker-customer relationship.

(b) Procedures

(1) Members must pre-approve in writing the lending or borrowing arrangements described in subparagraphs (a)(2)(C), (D), and (E) above.

(2) With respect to the lending or borrowing arrangements described in subparagraph (a)(2)(A) above, a member's written procedures may indicate that registered persons are not required to notify the member or receive member approval either prior to or subsequent to entering into such lending or borrowing arrangements.

(3) With respect to the lending or borrowing arrangements described in subparagraph (a)(2)(B) above, a member's written procedures may indicate that registered persons are not required to notify the member or receive member approval either prior to or subsequent to entering into such lending or borrowing arrangements, provided that, the loan has been made on commercial terms that the customer generally makes available to members of the general public similarly situated as to need, purpose and creditworthiness. For purposes of this subparagraph, the member may rely on the registered person's representation that the terms of the loan meet the above-described standards.

(c) The term immediate family shall include parents, grandparents, mother-in-law or father-in-law, husband or wife, brother or sister, brother-in-law or sister-in-law, son-in law or daughter-in-law, children, grandchildren, cousin, aunt or uncle, or niece or nephew, and shall also include any other person whom the registered person supports, directly or indirectly, to a material extent.