Regulatory pressure on Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) is intensifying. In its November 2025 Risk Alert, the SEC reported a 14% increase in RIA examinations, signaling a notable shift in supervisory priorities. While the SEC reviews a wide range of operational areas, three topics are receiving heightened scrutiny: custody practices, valuation controls, and recordkeeping.
According to the report, as advisory firms expand their assets under management, client base, and operational complexity, weak custody oversight has emerged as one of the most frequent exam deficiencies. Examiners pointed to gaps such as incomplete transaction records, delayed reconciliations, improper handling of client assets, and inconsistencies in valuation methodologies. These findings suggest that many RIAs—particularly those experiencing fast growth or relying on fragmented service providers—may be operating with custody arrangements that no longer match their scale or compliance obligations.
This regulatory trend is prompting more RIAs to reevaluate their custodial infrastructure, asking whether their current providers can keep pace with today’s expectations around transparency, accuracy, and operational resilience.
Austin Capital Trust (ACTC) offers a solution built specifically for these challenges. The firm provides a comprehensive custody platform designed to support RIAs with the level of security, precision, and administrative support modern oversight demands.
ACTC’s custody services include:
Custody Asset Servicing
ACTC handles all key corporate actions—such as dividends, stock splits, mergers, and reorganizations—while ensuring accurate income collection and timely updates. Their processes are designed to give advisors and clients clear visibility into asset valuations and account activity.
Reporting & Reconciliation
Accurate recordkeeping is essential under SEC rules, and ACTC provides detailed reporting tools and reconciliation workflows that help RIAs maintain books and records with confidence. Advisors receive consistent, verifiable statements that reduce operational risk and improve audit readiness.
Employee Benefits Custody
For RIAs who manage retirement or benefit plans, ACTC offers custody solutions that include contribution tracking, benefit disbursements, and compliance oversight. This helps streamline administrative responsibilities and aligns investment operations with regulatory requirements.
As regulatory expectations continue to rise, RIAs need custodial partners capable of delivering not just safekeeping, but operational rigor and compliance-grade infrastructure. ACTC’s platform is designed to help advisory firms stay focused on what they do best—guiding clients—while meeting the SEC’s increasingly demanding standards.
