Communication Archiving
Books-and-records compliant archiving under IAA Section 204. Immutable audit trail designed for SEC examination retrieval.
Obligation
What IAA Section 204 requires
Section 204 of the Investment Advisers Act requires registered investment advisers to maintain and preserve books and records in the manner prescribed by SEC rules. Rule 204-2 specifies which records must be kept, for how long, and in what format.
For investment advisers, this includes client correspondence, written communications, and records of investment advisory decisions. The SEC staff can request these records during an examination with short notice — retrieval must be fast and organized.
Retention requirements
- Most records: 5 years (first 2 years in an accessible place)
- Financial records (general ledger, etc.): 5 years
- Written communications (sent and received): 5 years
- Partnership agreements and articles of incorporation: life of firm plus 3 years
- Advertising records: 5 years
- Records must be authentic, accurate, and complete — alteration or deletion is prohibited
Archiving built for examination-ready retrieval
Immutable storage
Once a record is ingested, it cannot be altered or deleted. Tamper-evident logging meets Rule 204-2 authenticity requirements.
Timestamped audit trail
Every archived record carries a verifiable timestamp. Reviews, approvals, and access events are logged separately and retrievable.
Exam-ready retrieval
Search by date range, client, document type, or communication category. Export in formats expected by SEC staff — organized, not a data dump.
Email and document capture
Connects to your email system and document management platform. Inbound and outbound client communications are captured automatically.
Retention schedule management
Automatically applies the correct retention period per record type. Alerts before records approach their required retention window.
Data encryption at rest and in transit
All archived data is encrypted. Access is role-based and logged — ensuring only authorized personnel can retrieve sensitive client records.
From communication to compliant archive
Connect your channels
Integrate your email provider, CRM, and document management system. Zeplyn ingests communications automatically — no manual uploads required for routine correspondence.
Automatic classification and tagging
Zeplyn classifies each communication by type, client, and applicable rule — applying the correct retention schedule and flagging those requiring review before archiving.
Immutable archive with audit log
Archived records are stored with tamper-evident logging. Every access, search, and export event is recorded — showing the SEC exactly who accessed what and when.
Exam-ready export on demand
When an examination request arrives, produce a structured export of the requested records in minutes — organized by date, type, and client, ready to hand to SEC staff.