Close X

New Rule 506

New Rule 506

A final rule approved by the SEC makes changes to Rule 506 of Regulation D to permit issuers make unlimited use of general solicitation and general advertising to offer their securities.  Provided, however, the issuer is required to take reasonable steps to verify that the investors are accredited investors. All purchasers of the securities must meet the criteria to be accredited investors (under existing rule Rule 501 of Regulation D) or the issuer needs to reasonably believe that the purchasers meet the criteria at the time of the sale of the securities.

Under existing Rule 501, a person qualifies as an accredited investor if he or she has either:

  • An individual net worth or joint net worth with a spouse that exceeds $1 million at the time of the purchase, excluding the equity value of a primary residence; or
  • An individual annual income that exceeded $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or a joint annual income with a spouse that exceeded $300,000 for those years, and a reasonable expectation of the same income level in the current year.

Nevertheless, the final rule provides a non-exclusive list of methods that issuers may use to satisfy the accredited verification requirement for individual investors. The methods described in the final rule include the following:

  • Reviewing copies of any IRS form that reports the income of the purchaser and obtaining a written representation that the purchaser will likely continue to earn the necessary income in the current year.
  • Receiving a written confirmation from a registered broker-dealer, SEC-registered investment adviser, licensed attorney, or certified public accountant that such entity or person has taken reasonable steps to verify the purchaser's accredited status.

The determination of the reasonableness of the steps taken to verify an accredited investor is an objective assessment by an issuer. An issuer is required to consider the facts and circumstances of each purchaser and the transaction.

Issuers conducting Rule 506 offerings without the use of general solicitation or general advertising can continue to conduct securities offerings in the same manner as customary and will not be subject to the new verification rule.

The Commission also approved a proposal intended to enhance the SEC's ability to assess developments in the private placement market. In particular, the proposal would improve the SEC's ability to evaluate the development of market practices in Rule 506 offerings and would address certain concerns raised by investors related to issuers engaging in general solicitation.

The proposal requires issuers intending to employ general solicitation to file an advance notice of sale 15 days before and at the conclusion of an offering. Currently, an issuer selling securities using Rule 506 is required to file a Form D no later than 15 calendar days after the first sale of securities in an offering. That Form D is a type of notice that provides information about the issuer and the securities offering. Under the proposal, issuers that intend to engage in general solicitation as part of a Rule 506 offering would, in addition to the current requirements, be required to file the Form D at least 15 calendar days before engaging in general solicitation for the offering. Also, within 30 days of completing an offering, issuers would be required to update the information contained in the Form D and indicate that the offering has ended. The proposal requires issuers to provide additional information about the issuer and the offering. Currently, Form D requires identifying information about the company selling the securities, any related persons, the exemption the issuer is relying on to conduct the offering, and certain other factual information about the issuer and the offering. Under the proposal, issuers who intend to use general solicitation are required to provide additional information to enable the SEC to gather more information on the changes to the private offering market that could occur now that the general solicitation ban has been lifted.

The additional information would include:

  • Identification of the issuer's website.
  • Expanded information on
    • the issuer.
    • The offered securities.
    • The types of investors in the offering.
    • The use of proceeds from the offering.
    • Information on the types of general solicitation used.
    • The methods used to verify the accredited investor status of investors.

The proposal disqualifies issuers who fail to file Form D. Under the proposal, an issuer is disqualified from using the Rule 506 exemption in any new offering if the issuer or its affiliates did not comply with the Form D filing requirements in a Rule 506 offering. As proposed, the disqualification would continue for one year beginning after the required Form D filings are made. Issuers would be able to rely on a cure period for a late Form D filing and, in certain circumstances, could request a waiver from the staff. The proposal requires issuers to include legends and disclosures in written general solicitation materials Under the proposal, issuers are required to include certain legends or cautionary statements in any written general solicitation materials used in a Rule 506 offering. The legends would be intended to inform potential investors that the offering is limited to accredited investors and that certain potential risks may be associated with such offerings.

In addition, if the issuer is a private fund (a type of pooled investment vehicle) and includes information about past performance in its written general solicitation materials, it would be required to provide additional information in the materials to highlight the limitations on the usefulness of this type of information. The issuer also would need to highlight the difficulty of comparing this information with past performance information of other funds.

The proposal requires issuers to submit written general solicitation materials to the SEC.  Under the proposal, issuers are required to submit written general solicitation materials to the Commission through an intake page on the SEC website. Materials submitted in this manner would not be available to the general public. As proposed, this requirement would be temporary, expiring after two years.

Contact us Today

The Nick Yocca Law Firm is committed to answering your questions about business law and corporate compliance matters in Orange County.

We'll gladly discuss your case with you at your convenience. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.