Advertising must not be false or misleading and must not contain any untrue statement of a material fact. Advertising, like all statements made to advisory clients and prospective clients, is subject to the general prohibition on fraud (Section 206 as well as other anti-fraud provisions under the federal securities laws). Specifically prohibited are: testimonials; the use of past specific recommendations that were profitable, unless the adviser includes a list of all recommendations made during the past year; a representation that any graph, chart, or formula can in and of itself be used to determine which securities to buy or sell; and advertisements stating that any report, analysis, or service is free, unless it really is free.
The SEC staff has said that, if you advertise your past investment performance record, you should disclose all material facts necessary to avoid any unwarranted inference. For example, SEC staff has indicated that it may view performance data to be misleading if it:
does not disclose prominently that the results portrayed relate only to a select group of the adviser’s clients, the basis on which the selection was made, and the effect of this practice on the results portrayed, if material;
does not disclose the effect of material market or economic conditions on the results portrayed (e.g., an advertisement stating that the accounts of the adviser’s clients appreciated in value 25% without disclosing that the market generally appreciated 40% during the same period);
does not reflect the deduction of advisory fees, brokerage or other commissions, and any other expenses that accounts would have or actually paid;
does not disclose whether and to what extent the results portrayed reflect the reinvestment of dividends and other earnings;
suggests or makes claims about the potential for profit without also disclosing the possibility of loss;
compares model or actual results to an index without disclosing all material facts relevant to the comparison (e.g., an advertisement that compares model results to an index without disclosing that the volatility of the index is materially different from that of the model portfolio); and
does not disclose any material conditions, objectives, or investment strategies used to obtain the results portrayed (e.g., the model portfolio contains equity stocks that are managed with a view towards capital appreciation).
In addition, as a registered adviser, you may not imply that the SEC or another agency has sponsored, recommended or approved you, based upon your registration (under Section 208 of the Advisers Act). You should not use the term “registered investment adviser” unless you are registered, and you should not use this term to imply that as a registered adviser, you have a level of professional competence, education or special training. For example, the SEC staff has stated that advisers should not use the term “RIA” after a person’s name because using initials after a name usually indicates a degree or a licensed professional position for which there are certain qualifications; however, there are no federal qualifications for becoming an SEC-registered adviser.
