Services to the Broker/Dealer Industry: Advising the Advisers
An uncertain economy, regulatory reform, and a volatile financial landscape have been the rule rather than the exception for financial services organizations. Broker/dealers also face increased regulatory oversight and diminished customer engagement. Finally, competition threatens market share and revenue streams for many firms.
Crowe Horwath LLP helps broker/dealers address the formidable challenges of balancing risk and revenue. We provide a full range of services designed to implement effective controls, streamline operations, manage risks, and improve financial performance, including audit, financial advisory, tax, risk, and performance services.
The extensive scope of our industry focused services and competencies can help your firm improve efficiencies that mitigate risk, create additional cash flow, improve operational performance, and enhance your competitive advantage.
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Assurance
Crowe has a long track record of providing comprehensive assurance services and solutions to the broker/dealer industry and decades of experience within the financial services sector. Our team focuses on addressing the key audit and accounting issues faced by broker/dealers, in an ongoing effort to support improvements to the integrity of the financial reporting process.
Crowe understands the complexities related to satisfying industry regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Accounting Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and we are examined annually by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). Crowe’s audit professionals provide an ongoing open forum, structured to identify emerging issues, technical accounting transactions, and changes within the industry, to help ensure a “no surprises” approach. We assess the quality of each audit prior to issuing reports, and incorporate innovative technologies to enhance audit efficiency, facilitate collaboration, and reduce workflow disruptions.
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Financial Advisory
Crowe’s valuation specialists can help you execute a strategy for business combinations and provide support for financial reporting, incentive compensation, calculating claims for business interruptions, and calculating damages from a breach of the Protocol for Broker Recruiting (Protocol). Crowe’s experience also includes providing valuation of assets during business combinations in accordance with applicable accounting standards. Crowe’s fully integrated approach can help you:
- Identify deal breakers and key risk areas;
- Reveal opportunities for improving profits;
- Develop your optimal transaction structure; and
- Ease the integration of acquisitions.
Crowe brings the optimum level of practical and professional expertise to assess and maximize opportunities before, during, and after every deal.
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Tax
Crowe understands the challenges of tax planning and compliance issues facing broker/dealers, including the tax implications of business structure and classification related to dealing, trading, and investing in various financial instruments and securities. Crowe has significant experience in managing these and many other industry-specific tax planning and compliance issues. We can help you evaluate current tax functional areas to identify opportunities that can:
- Create additional cash flow
- Reduce effective tax rates
- Increase stakeholder value
Crowe’s comprehensive range of services includes international, federal, local and multi-state tax, nexus review and voluntary disclosure services, outsourcing, and assistance with authorization exams based on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements.
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Risk
By evaluating the risks specific to the broker/dealer industry, whether they are internal or external, as well as those that are unique to your organization, Crowe delivers solutions that can contribute to:
- Improved management effectiveness;
- Increased compliance with SEC, FINRA, and other federal and state laws and rules;
- Increased confidence of regulators and stakeholders; and
- Reduced capital costs.
Widely recognized as a top provider of risk management services, Crowe’s professionals provide extensive services in areas of high risk, like internal audit, compliance, internal controls, anti-fraud, contingency planning, and risk management.
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Performance
Crowe's experienced performance consultants will design and install customized technologies to help your broker/dealer or wealth management organization improve your management of customers, data, and organizational performance.
By focusing on industry insights and using unparalleled skills in expense benchmarking, customer relationship management (CRM), data integration, analysis and warehousing, and performance improvement, Crowe helps broker/dealers achieve operational excellence.
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