%2010.svg){kind=logo}
The functional layers
- Policies and procedures — current versions, distribution, attestation tracking.
- Code of Ethics and personal trading — pre-clearance workflow, holdings reporting, transaction reconciliation.
- Marketing review — pre-publication review, disclosure tracking, retention.
- Communications archiving — email, chat, social — searchable and producible.
- Books and records — central repository meeting Rule 204-2 modernized requirements.
- Surveillance — trading patterns, suitability alerts, drift and concentration monitoring.
- Compliance calendar and workflow — task management for recurring obligations.
What an integrated stack enables
- The same client information appears consistently across the brochure, the IPS, and the recommendation log.
- Code-of-ethics violations are flagged automatically rather than discovered in audit.
- Marketing materials cannot be published without going through review.
- Records are produced from a single search instead of pulled from disparate systems.
- Surveillance alerts surface issues continuously rather than at periodic spot-checks.
Common stack pitfalls
- Tools chosen point-by-point with no integration — the adviser becomes the manual integration layer.
- "Best of breed" approach producing 12 systems and no source of truth.
- Adoption gaps — tools purchased but not used by the people whose work they're meant to support.
- Vendor turnover with historical records stranded in legacy systems.
What examiners notice
Examiners don't grade the technology — they grade the program. But the stack visibly shapes the program's quality. Firms with poor technology often have poor records, slow retrieval, and inconsistent practice. Firms with well-integrated stacks produce records faster and answer questions more confidently.
How StratiFi thinks about the compliance tech stack
The right metaphor is plumbing, not features. The stack should be invisible when it's working — every action a CCO takes produces evidence automatically, every recommendation is tied to its supporting documentation, every policy change propagates across the firm's records. When the stack is integrated this way, compliance becomes a structural property of the firm rather than a daily firefight.
Frequently asked questions
-
How big does a firm need to be to need a compliance tech stack?
Even single-person RIAs benefit from compliance technology — at minimum a policy management tool, a code-of-ethics system, and a books-and-records repository. The tools scale; the obligations don't. -
Should advisers buy point tools or a platform?
It depends on size and complexity. Smaller firms often start with point tools and consolidate as the firm grows. Mid-market and larger firms increasingly favor integrated platforms to avoid the manual-integration tax. -
Can custodian platforms substitute for a compliance stack?
For limited functions, yes — custodian platforms typically provide trade and position reporting that satisfies books-and-records for those records. They do not generally cover policy management, code of ethics, marketing review, or communications archiving.