FINRA Rule 2210 Communication Review
Pre-approval workflows and immutable archiving for retail and institutional communications — built for dual registrants and FINRA-affiliated advisors.
with the Public
What FINRA Rule 2210 requires
FINRA Rule 2210 governs communications with the public by broker-dealers and dual registrants. It establishes content standards, filing requirements, and pre-approval obligations for retail and institutional communications.
The rule distinguishes between correspondence (one-on-one communications), retail communications (distributed to more than 25 retail investors in 30 days), and institutional communications. Each category carries different pre-approval and supervisory requirements.
Communication categories
- Correspondence — generally does not require pre-approval; spot-check supervision
- Retail communications — generally require principal pre-approval before use
- Institutional communications — require principal review prior to first use with institutional investors
- Performance data in retail communications requires specific format and disclosure standards
- Testimonials and endorsements require disclosure of compensation arrangements
- Third-party recognition requires disclosure of methodology and timeframe
FINRA 2210 compliance checks, automated
Communication category classification
Automatically classifies submissions as correspondence, retail, or institutional — determining which pre-approval workflow applies.
Content standard review
Checks for misleading statements, omissions, exaggerated claims, and failure to present a balanced picture of risks and benefits.
Performance data standards
Validates that performance presentations comply with FINRA 2210 standards — consistent time periods, standardized data presentation, required risk disclosures.
Principal pre-approval workflow
Routes retail communications through a principal approval step with a documented record — meeting the supervisory requirements of Rule 2210(b).
Required legend and disclosure review
Flags communications that reference specific products or performance claims without required legends, disclaimers, or prospectus references.
Archiving for examination readiness
All communications and their approval records are retained in tamper-evident storage, retrievable by date, reviewer, or communication type.
From draft communication to compliant archive
Submit the communication
Upload the draft communication or connect your email system. Zeplyn classifies the communication type — correspondence, retail, or institutional — automatically.
Automated 2210 content check
Zeplyn AI reviews the communication against FINRA Rule 2210 content standards — checking for misleading statements, missing disclosures, and unbalanced risk presentations.
Principal review queue
If the communication requires principal pre-approval, it enters a supervised review queue. The principal reviews the AI flag report before approving or returning for revision.
Immutable record created
The approval — including the reviewer, timestamp, and review basis — is logged permanently. Records are retrievable in the format expected in a FINRA examination.