SEC 2026 Examination Priorities

On November 17, 2025, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Examinations released its 2026 Examination Priorities, available HERE

The priorities provide the Division's views regarding the practices, products, and services which could increase risks to investors and/or the financial markets.

The 2026 Examination Priorities include:
• Alternative investments, including private credit,
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automated technologies,
• Anti-Money Laundering (AML),
• Conflicts of interest,
• Cybersecurity and operational resilience,
• Fee and expense practices,
• Fiduciary duties
• Preparedness for the upcoming Regulation S-P (Privacy Rule) amendments, and
• Protection of the rights of retail investors.

The priorities provide the Division's views regarding the practices, products, and services

We observe that crypto assets are no longer shown as an Examination Priority. Veteran observers have every reason to believe upcoming SEC examinations (of both broker-dealers and investment advisers) will focus on the above priorities. The 2026 Examination Priorities appropriately focus on cybersecurity and operational-resiliency threats and highlight the need for enterprise-wide risk assessments, strong governance-risk-and-compliance (G-R-C) controls, and related supervisory frameworks.