IARD Accounting

Last updated on: 3/14/12

Every authorized firm in the IARD system has a financial account with FINRA, the firm's Daily Account. The IARD system facilitates the collection and disbursement of state registration and Notice Filing fees on behalf of the filer.

Important Accounting Change: Effective March 21, 2011, the accounting functionality of Web CRD changed with regard to the processing of fees for Form U4s, U5s and BR filings. Please visit the CRD Fees & Accounting page for detailed information regarding these changes.

To submit Form ADV and Form ADV-W filings, the IARD system requires that a firm have enough funds deposited in its account to cover all fees associated with the filings.

The following links provide a high-level overview of the IARD Accounting functionality and key terms. For more detailed information on IARD Accounting, please refer to the IARD Accounting Quick Reference Guide.

Accounting Function
Account Balance
Daily Account vs. Renewal Account
Account Activity Report
Account Payment Methods and Addresses
Web CRD/IARD Funds Transfer Requests
How to Request a Refund From Your Account

Accounting Function:

  • The IARD and CRD systems provide firms and FINRA the ability to view detailed financial account information specific to your firm.


  • The IARD system collects and disburses state registration and Notice Filing fees on behalf of the filer.


  • The IARD system also collects IARD system fees that are charged when the firm’s first electronic Form ADV filing is made (Initial Set-up Fee) and annually thereafter (Annual Fee).


  • The IARD system does not charge fees on filings that amend Form ADV information, but do not request a new state registration or Notice Filing status.


  • Forms U4, U5 and BR are filed via the Web CRD system. Please visit the CRD Fees & Accounting page on the FINRA website for additional information.

Special Note to Joint Broker/Dealer and Investment Adviser (BD/IA) Firms:
There is only one financial account for both Web CRD and IARD. Please ensure that adequate funds are on deposit each day to allow for registration transactions to occur in both systems.

Daily Account Balance:

  • Your firm must have sufficient funds on deposit in its account in order to request a new state registration or Notice Filing.

  • If there are not sufficient funds on deposit, form filings will not pass the automated completeness check and cannot be submitted.

Daily Account vs. Renewal Account:
There are two types of financial accounts: Daily and Renewal.

  • The Daily Account is your firm’s primary account that enables day-to-day registration transactions to occur.
  • The Renewal Account is the account your firm uses to participate in the annual renewal of its state registrations and Notice Filings.

    • The annual Renewal Program for firms, their branches, and representatives begins in November each year.
    • Personalized Renewal Statements that outline the fees your firm owes will appear, online, in the IARD system.
    • Visit the Renewal Program Web page for more information.

Account Activity Report:

  • In order to access your firm's financial account activity, you will need to request your firm's Account Activity Report through the reports functionality in IARD.
  • The monthly Account Activity Report can be requested during IARD's operating hours through the Reports tab or the Request Reports hyperlink under the Reports column on the Site Map.
  • This report enables firms to request data for the previous month's Daily Account Activity.
  • Complete the following steps to request the monthly Account Activity Report:
    1. Click on REQUEST REPORT
    2. Click on ACCOUNT ACTIVITY under the "Report Name" column
    3. Enter the Requester's initials
    4. Click on the SUBMIT button
  • Note for Joint BD/IA Firms: Transactions will be listed as they were processed and will be identified by a BD/IA fee description.

Account Payment Methods and Addresses:

IA firms may submit their payments by:

  • Electronic Payment via Web CRD/IARD E-Pay
  • Wire Transfer
  • Check (Make checks payable to FINRA and be sure to indicate your firm's CRD number on the check)

Electronic Payment via Web CRD/IARD E-Pay:

Electronic payments (ACH payments) submitted by 8 p.m., Eastern Time (ET), should be posted within two business days to the firm’s account with FINRA.

Web CRD/IARD E-Pay allows a firm to authorize electronic payment directly from its designated bank account to the firm’s CRD/IARD Account. FINRA will not charge firms any fees for utilizing Web CRD/IARD E-Pay; however, firms should verify with their banks whether ACH transaction fees will be assessed by the bank for using Web CRD/IARD E-Pay. Enrollment is required to use the Web CRD/IARD E-Pay application.

Web CRD/IARD E-Pay Navigation Guide: Provides detailed instruction on how to enroll and use the Web CRD/IARD E-Pay payment method.

Payment by Wire Transfers:

  • Wire Transfer Deposits received before 2 p.m., ET, should be posted in your Account the next business day.

  • Wire Transfer Deposits received after 2 p.m., ET, should be posted in your IARD Account within two business days.

IA firms may wire funds into their IARD Account:

  • Provide your bank with the following information to initiate a wire transfer:

  • Bank Name and Location
    		• Mellon Financial, Philadelphia, PA
  • ABA Number:
    		• 031 000 037
  • Beneficiary:
    		• FINRA
  • FINRA Account Number:
    		• 8-234-353
  • Reference Number:
    		• Your Firm's CRD Number

  • Inform your bank to credit funds to the FINRA bank account and use only your firm's CRD Number as a reference number.

  • Please record your bank’s confirmation number for the wire transfer. You will need this if you choose to call your bank later to confirm the wire transfer.

  • If you send your wire transfer by 2 p.m., ET, your firm may confirm FINRA’s receipt of the payment the next business day by checking your account or calling the Gateway Call Center at (240) 386-4848. Please have the confirmation number of the wire transfer provided to you by your bank for FINRA to research the payment.

  • If your firm is located outside of the United States, FINRA’s SWIFT-BIC is MELNUS3P.

Payment by Check:

  • Check deposits received before 2 p.m., ET, should be posted in your Account the next business day.

  • Check deposits received after 2 p.m., ET, should be posted in your Account in two business days.

    • Please make checks payable to FINRA and use only your firm's CRD Number as the reference number.

    • Check Payment Mailing Locations:

    Firms may submit their checks to FINRA by either US Mail or overnight Express Mail.

    For US Mail Delivery:

    FINRA
    P.O. Box 7777-9995
    Philadelphia, PA 19175-9995

    (Note: this address will not accept courier or overnight deliveries)

    		For Courier &
    Overnight Deliveries Only:

    FINRA
    Attn: 9995
    500 Ross Street 154-0455
    Pittsburgh, PA 15262

    Provide the following phone number if one is required for the recipient:
    (240) 386-4848

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Web CRD/IARD Funds Transfer Requests

To transfer funds between affiliated firms accounts, use the Web CRD/IARD Funds Transfer Request Form.

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How to Request a Refund from Your Account

Your firm may choose to withdraw funds from your account due to various circumstances (i.e., refunding of certain fees, renewal refunds and account over-funding). To request a refund from your firm's account:

  • Submit a written request on firm letterhead with the following information:

    • Firm CRD number
    • Amount requested
    • Date and signature of an appropriate firm officer/signatory


  • Mail or fax the request to FINRA. (Please select only one method. Do not send both a mailed and faxed request.)


  • If you still have access to the IARD system, please include a print out of your firm's account for verification purposes.


  • The refund check will be made payable to the firm and mailed to the firm address filed on the IARD system.
Mail to:
FINRA
Finance Department
9509 Key West Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 590-6500
Or

Fax to:
(240) 386-5344
Attention: Finance Department
Note: Most refund requests should be processed within 10 business days of receipt except during the annual Renewals Program.

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