Short answer
FINRA Rule 2210 governs broker-dealer communications with the public. It sorts communications into correspondence, retail and institutional, requires principal approval for most retail communications, sets content standards, and requires certain communications to be filed with FINRA.
FINRA Rule 2210 explained
Retail communications, meaning anything distributed to more than 25 retail investors within 30 days, generally need approval by a registered principal before use, and some types, such as new investment company advertisements, must be filed with FINRA. All communications must be fair, balanced and not misleading, and firms must keep copies for the required retention period.
Email campaigns, social posts and website content all fall under the rule, so marketing automation needs review and archiving built in.
How Vantage Point helps: we configure approval workflows and archiving integrations for marketing content in HubSpot and Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between correspondence and retail communications?
Correspondence goes to 25 or fewer retail investors within 30 days; retail communications go to more than 25. Retail communications usually need principal pre-approval.
Does Rule 2210 apply to social media?
Yes. Social media posts by a firm or its registered representatives are communications subject to FINRA's rules.