SEC Recordkeeping Requirements: What You Need to Know

FAudit outcomes in finance still hinge on the basics: what you captured, how long you kept it, and how fast you can produce it. As SEC recordkeeping requirements evolve in 2025, two things haven’t changed: regulators want a complete communications trail, and they expect it promptly in a usable format.

The core rules. For broker-dealers, SEC Rules 17a-3 (what to make) and 17a-4 (how to keep and produce it) set the baseline, while FINRA Rule 4511 aligns retention and establishes a six-year default where no period is specified. In 2025, the SEC’s Division of Examinations also flagged books-and-records readiness, particularly changes tied to T+1 settlement, as an exam focus.

Enforcement is still active. On January 13, 2025, the SEC announced that 12 firms would pay more than $63 million combined for electronic communications recordkeeping failures; proof that off-channel messaging remains a high-priority sweep.

What’s new (and still in force)?

Recent amendments modernized Rule 17a-4 in two big ways:

1. WORM or audit-trail: You can satisfy electronic retention using classic WORM or an audit-trail alternative that lets you recreate the original if modified or deleted.
   
   
2. “Reasonably usable” production: If the SEC asks, you must furnish records (and the audit trail if applicable) in a reasonably usable electronic format.

Both changes align better with cloud platforms and modern discovery workflows.

The amended rule lets firms keep the traditional third-party undertaking or designate a Designated Executive Officer with authority and access to provide records, supported by a “specialist” if needed. FINRA’s guidance also defines a Designated Third Party and clarifies responsibilities under 17a-4. Choose a path and document it.

What to capture now.

Email alone won’t cut it. If business happens on voice calls/voicemail, SMS, Microsoft Teams/Slack, or approved third-party apps, it belongs in scope. That’s the practical meaning of SEC recordkeeping requirements in 2025, and it’s where many firms have stumbled. (SEC)

Four steps to stay exam-ready this year

1. Inventory channels & tighten policy. Map every communication path (including mobile) to record types under 17a-3/4 and FINRA 4511.
   
   
2. Standardize retention & legal holds. Automate periods by role/region; ensure you can suspend deletion instantly.
   
   
3. Pick your storage model. Choose WORM or audit-trail and document your Designated Executive Officer or Designated Third Party approach. Test access regularly.
4. Prove “prompt” retrieval. Run quarterly mock requests to produce records and audit trails in a reasonably usable format. Time it. Tune it.

Where Votacall fits. 

Votacall pairs cloud voice with finance-grade archiving, integrating directly with Global Relay so calls, voicemails, and SMS flow into an SEC-ready archive without manual exports. It’s unified capture, policy-driven retention, and quick search, built to help you meet SEC recordkeeping requirements without extra busywork.

Ready to expect MORE from compliance?

Let’s make archiving compliance effortless across voice, chat, and mobile. Book a free demo and see how Votacall and Global Relay turn records into readiness.