The Broker-Dealer’s Guide to Compliance Testing

Testing Isn’t a Checkbox – It’s a Compliance Lifeline 

Regulators don’t just want to know if you tested – they want to see what you found, what you fixed, and how your program evolved.

Between FINRA, the SEC, and everything from Reg BI to AML, compliance testing has never mattered more. And it’s not enough to run through the motions – today’s regulators want a full audit trail of how your testing shapes oversight, supervision, and firm-wide accountability. 

This guide helps you build a testing program that:

• Prioritizes critical areas like WSPs, personal trading, eComms, and Reg BI 
• Ties directly into your 3120/3130 supervisory reports 
• Documents findings, remediations, and policy changes – all in real time 
• Turns your testing calendar into your firm’s first line of defense 

If your current testing feels like a patchwork of spreadsheets and last-minute scrambles, this is your opportunity to reset.