Compliance officers at broker-dealer firms will have a chance to discuss new and changing regulations that affect them during a series of seminars being organized by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Co-sponsored by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the CCOutreach BD seminars will be designed to answer questions that broker-dealer compliance officers say they feel are most pressing. A national seminar to be held at SEC headquarters in Washington, D.C. is tentatively scheduled for next March, and several regional seminars will be held in other locations around the country.

    Compliance officers can submit ideas for topics to be discussed or can volunteer to speak at the seminars by emailing [email protected] or [email protected]. In January, information on registering to attend will be available on the two websites, www.sec.gov/info/bdccoutreach.htm and www.finra.org/bdccoutreach.

    Some of the topics that have been identified so far include sales practices, particularly for variable products and issues involving seniors; compliance programs for trading activities; debt security issues; conflicts of interest; how to protect customer data and private information; and the compliance officer's role in the financial industry's constantly changing environment. A more complete rundown of target issues is available on both websites.

    As part of the continuing education process, a CCOutreach seminar for investment advisors and investment company compliance officers is set for November 14 at the SEC headquarters and will be broadcast on the Internet.

    The 2008 seminars will provide "an opportunity for broker-dealers and their regulators to learn from one another about how best to ensure compliance with securities laws," says SEC Chairman Christopher Cox.