The Novaworks support team frequently receives queries about images missing from SEC test filings or text being incorrectly positioned in areas such as prospectus cover pages when a submission is sent with the “return copy” option enabled, so we've provided a quick lesson on what the return copy is and how to use it.

Last month, the SEC proposed changes to its Rules of Practice involving administrative proceedings, which would require people involved in administrative proceedings to file and serve documents electronically and would also, among other things, adjust the timing of hearings in administrative proceedings, allow for discovery depositions, and clarify the rules for admitting hearsay and assertion of affirmative defenses.

The Security and Exchange Commission has been engaged in a broad-based review, known as the Disclosure Effectiveness Initiative, in which SEC staff has been assessing SEC disclosure requirements as well as the presentation and delivery of disclosures.

Chair Mary Jo White announced the launch of a new rulemaking database on Thursday, September 24, in a bid to provide enhanced transparency into the Security and Exchange Commission’s rulemaking process.

On September 22, the Securities and Exchange Commission published a proposed rule that would require mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to implement liquidity risk management programs. Additionally, the SEC proposes to enhance disclosure regarding fund liquidity and redemption practices. The aim is to better ensure that investors can redeem shares and receive assets in a timely manner, particularly when investors are looking to exit during times of market turmoil.

On September 14, 2015, EDGAR 15.3 was released by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This release contained new EDGAR forms and changes to exhibits.

Last month, changes to the SEC’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations became effective. These changes included an extension to the time frame for FOIA appeals in addition to increased fees for processing FOIA requests.

Sending a correspondence to the SEC via EDGAR can raise questions about how to prepare the filing and how it should be filed. Unlike other information sent to EDGAR, a correspondence can be included as either an exhibit to a filing or it can be transmitted as a separate filing altogether using Form CORRESP.

The SEC announced that along with EDGAR 15.3, they would also be rolling out some SSL changes. The SEC will remove support for SSLv3 from their server, requiring all EDGAR filers to use the TLSv1.0 protocol. For the average filer, “SSL” and “TLS” may be completely foreign terms. You might be wondering: “What is SSL?” and “Does this affect my EDGAR filings?”. To know what the SSL changes mean at the SEC for your company, you’ll first have to take a short trip into the land of Internet security.

With the second quarter Q season in full swing, many filers are noticing for the first time that the SEC has changed their XBRL viewer. Because the SEC released a new version of the viewer between major filing deadlines, the update happened without a lot of notice. In this article, we will cover the changes the SEC made to their viewer and discuss both the improvements that were made as well as some new problems filers might be encountering.

The Securities and Exchange Commission approved a new rule on Wednesday August 5^th that requires publicly-traded U.S firms to disclose the pay gap between their CEOs’ annual compensation and the median compensation of their other employees.

On August 3, 2015, EDGAR 15.2.2 was released by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This release contained new EDGAR forms and new EDGAR applicant types.

The SEC has proposed a new rule (Rule 10D-1) and rule amendments that would require national securities exchanges and national securities associations to establish listing standards requiring each issuer listed on its exchange to develop and implement a policy that provides for the recovery of incentive-based compensation that was erroneously awarded to its officers (a “clawback” policy). Issuers would also be required to file the policy to the SEC as an exhibit to its annual report and to include additional disclosures within both their annual report and their proxy statements regarding clawback actions taken by the company.

A new form for money market funds that was finalized by the SEC in Release 33-9616 (Money Market Fund Reform; Amendments to Form PF) recently became effective for filing to EDGAR. This form, Form N-CR, has raised questions from preparers and registrants alike who want to know more about the form, when it should be filed, and how to file it.

The XBRL US Center for Data Quality has launched a public review for seven proposed validation rules. These rules are available for comment by public companies, data providers, analysts and XBRL providers for sixty days and pertain to providing validation tests for XBRL errors.