The SEC upgraded the EDGAR system to Release 21.1 on March 22, 2021. The system now supports the 2021 reporting taxonomies, which are the final versions of the draft taxonomies that were posted by SEC staff for public comment on September 1, 2020.
Continue reading "SEC Announces 2021 XBRL Taxonomies Update" »

With the release of EDGAR 21.1, the SEC has revised Volume I of the EDGAR Filer Manual and Form ID, as well as related rules. Those who apply for EDGAR access who previously used the “Convert Paper Only Filer to Electronic Filer” process are now required to submit Form ID and an authenticating document to apply for access to file on EDGAR. The changes apply to applicants who have Central Index Key (CIK) numbers but have not yet filed electronically on EDGAR. Continue reading "Form ID Amendments" »

On April 1, 2021, the SEC will begin only accepting internet connections from networks using Transport Layer Security (TLS) settings at version 1.2 or higher. This move has been made to strengthen network security controls. Continue reading "SEC Makes Announcement About Disabling TLS 1.0..." »

The SEC has announced that EDGAR Release 21.1 will implement a number of updates to the EDGAR filing website on March 22, 2021. Continue reading "SEC Releases EDGAR 21.1" »

On February 24, the SEC announced that the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), the organization that establishes financial accounting and reporting standards for public and private companies and not-for-profit organizations that follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), has published two proposed Taxonomy Implementation Guides. These guides are based on the 2021 US GAAP Financial Reporting Taxonomy, which is currently under consideration by the SEC. {expires: 2021-03-13}
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XBRL US will host a free webinar on March 10, 2021 to provide an update on the XBRL API that works with data in the Database of Public Filings. The event will begin at 3 p.m. and will be an hour in length. Webinar attendees will learn how to get started with the no-cost add-in for Microsoft Excel in M365 and Office 365 that was recently published called XBRL Filed Data. The remote meeting will also address other available XBRL API enhancements and resources. {expires: 2021-03-11} Continue reading "XBRL US to Host Webinar on Updates to the XBRL API" »

The SEC has announced that technical issues with Form 13H (and its variants) resulting from the end of life of Adobe Flash software has been resolved. Filers who were unable to file Form 13H (or variant) because of the issue should submit their filings as soon as possible. Continue reading "Form 13H Issues Caused by Adobe Flash Player..." »

On January 13, 2021, the SEC released a statement concerning Form 13H and filing issues due to Adobe Flash Player’s End of Life. Adobe officially discontinued support for Flash Player on December 31, 2020. Because of this, filers have been experiencing issues with filing Form 13H (and its variants). SEC staff are working on a technical fix. They expect to implement this fix no later than January 31, 2021.
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On December 22, 2020, the SEC proposed an amendment to Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933 that would revise the holding period determination for securities acquired upon the conversion or exchange of certain “market-adjustable securities”. This change should decrease the risk of unregistered distributions in connection with sales of those securities. In addition, the SEC is proposing updates and simplifications to the Form 144 filing requirements. Continue reading "SEC Requests Comment on Changes to Rule 144 and..." »

On December 16, 2020, the SEC adopted rules intended to achieve the statutory objective of increasing the transparency of payments to governments for the purpose of the commercial development of their oil, natural gas, and minerals by enforcing Section 13(q) of the Exchange Act. Added to the Exchange Act in 2010 by Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Section 13(q) instructed the SEC to issue final rules that require resource extraction issuers (entities such as oil, natural gas, and mining companies that are required to file reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) annually to file a Form SD that includes information about payments that are made to the federal government or a foreign government related to the commercial development of oil, natural gas, or minerals. Continue reading "SEC Approves Final Rules for the Disclosure of..." »

On December 14, 2020, EDGAR Release 20.4 was released by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This release includes new exhibits types for Regulation A forms, a new checkbox on Forms 10-K, 20-F, and 40-F, and a number of changes that correspond to Release 33-10771.

Continue reading "SEC Releases EDGAR 20.4" »

On November 18, 2020, the SEC published a draft of the EDGAR Filer Manual Volume II “EDGAR Filing,” (Version 56). Though there may be elements of the draft the SEC has not approved, may approve or disapprove, and may modify, the agency is making the draft available to the filing community to: 1) solicit responses; and 2) support filers in preparing for the potential amendments to the EDGAR system that are detailed in the draft. The release of the draft EDGAR Filer Manual is not meant to imply SEC support of any proposed changes relating to the EDGAR system expressed in the draft. Continue reading "SEC Releases Draft EDGAR Filer Manual (Volume..." »

The SEC announced on November 19th that it has adopted amendments that will modernize, simplify, and enhance certain financial disclosure requirements in Regulation S-K. These amendments are intended to improve the focus of financial disclosures on material information for the benefit of investors while also simplifying compliance for registrants by reducing the costs and burdens. In addition, the amendments will improve the readability and navigability of disclosure documents and discourage repetition and disclosure of immaterial information. Continue reading "SEC Modernizes and Enhances Management’s..." »

On October 28th, the SEC adopted a new rule and rule revisions to the regulatory framework for derivatives usage under the Investment Company Act. The enhancements will provide an updated and thorough approach to the regulation of registered investment funds’ derivatives usage that reflects developments over the past decades and focuses on investor protection matters. The Investment Company Act generally limits registered funds and business development companies from engaging in transactions that involve potential future payment obligations. This may include obligations under derivatives such as forwards, futures, swaps and written options. The new rule allows funds to enter into these transactions if they comply with conditions designed to protect investors, such as adopting a derivatives risk management program and complying with a limit on the amount of leverage-related risk that the fund may obtain based on value-at-risk (VaR). Continue reading "SEC Revises Regulations for Derivatives Usage..." »

On September 28th, the SEC announced a new proposal to improve the operational transparency, system integrity, and regulatory oversight of alternative trading systems. These systems trade government securities and repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements on government securities. US government securities markets are among the most significant and liquid securities markets in the world. Including US Treasury securities and agency securities, government securities comprise more than half of the outstanding debt issuances in the US bond market. They therefore play a critical role in the US and global economies. During the latter half of 2019, the average daily trading volume in government securities was approximately $835 billion. In addition to seeking public opinion on regulating these markets, the SEC is also requesting comment on the regulatory framework for electronic platforms that trade corporate debt and municipal securities. Continue reading "SEC Proposes to Extend Regulations ATS and SCI..." »