FINRA Rule 4512 — Customer Account Information

Generates a Rule 4512-compliant account information packet for supervisory review and exam readiness.

Quick Start

Gather before drafting:

Firm WSPs and approved onboarding/KYC forms
Government ID(s) and tax forms (W-9/W-8) for all holders
Entity docs if applicable (trust agreement, LLC/corp docs, POA, UTMA/UGMA)
Investment profile inputs (objectives, risk tolerance, horizon, financials, experience)
Disclosure/consent forms (E-SIGN, margin, options ODD, securities lending, privacy)

Core Workflow

Complete each section. Record "Declined" with date for non-mandatory declinations. Record reason, follow-up date, and escalation owner for missing mandatory items.

A. Header

| Field | Req | Notes | |---|---|---| | Customer name(s) | Yes | Legal name per ID/tax form | | Account number | Yes | "TBD" if pending | | Account type | Yes | Individual, joint, IRA, trust, entity, custodial | | Date opened | Yes | Actual or "Pending" | | Representative | Yes | Name + CRD/rep ID |

B. Customer Identification (4512 + CIP)

| Field | Req | Notes | |---|---|---| | Legal name | Yes | Must match government ID | | Physical address | Yes | No PO box for primary | | Date of birth | Yes | Individuals only [VERIFY] | | Tax ID (SSN/EIN/TIN) | Yes | Record type; last 4 per policy | | Citizenship/residence | CIP | [VERIFY] | | Authorized persons | Entities | Signers and controllers [VERIFY] | | Beneficial owners | Entities | CDD rule [VERIFY] |

C. Trusted Contact (4512(a)(1)(E))

| Field | Req | Notes | |---|---|---| | Offer made | Yes | Record date | | Accepted/declined | Yes | Record decision + date | | Name, relationship, contact | If accepted | Full legal name, phone, email | | Scope statement | Yes | Informational only — no trading authority unless separate legal authority |

D. Employment & Affiliations

| Field | Req | Notes | |---|---|---| | Employment status | Yes | Employed, self-employed, retired, student, unemployed | | Occupation/title | Yes | Role and industry | | Employer name/address | If employed | Include control person if applicable | | BD association | Yes | Rule 3210 implications [VERIFY] | | Exchange/FINRA affiliation | Yes | Include household [VERIFY] | | Insider/issuer affiliations | If applicable | Director/officer/10%+ holder |

E. Investment Profile (Rule 2111)

| Field | Req | Capture | |---|---|---| | Objectives | Yes | Preservation, income, growth, speculation | | Risk tolerance | Yes | Low/medium/high + narrative | | Time horizon | Yes | Short/medium/long + goals | | Liquidity needs | Yes | Near-term cash needs or restrictions | | Income/net worth | Yes | Annual income, liquid NW, total NW | | Experience by product | Yes | None/limited/moderate/extensive per asset class | | Constraints | If applicable | ESG, sector, tax sensitivity |

F. Account Features

[ ] Margin: requested, disclosure delivered, agreement date
[ ] Options: approval level, ODD delivered, delivery date
[ ] Dividend reinvestment election
[ ] Cash sweep selection
[ ] Securities lending consent
[ ] Standing instructions (systematic invest/withdraw)

G. Delivery & Consent

[ ] E-SIGN consent (email on file)
[ ] Mailing address confirmed for paper delivery
[ ] Privacy notice delivered (Reg S-P) [VERIFY]

H. Certifications & Supervisory Review

Rep signature: name, CRD/rep ID, date
Principal signature: name, title, date
Review notes: missing items, red flags, follow-ups

I. Retention

| Item | Requirement | Notes | |---|---|---| | Periodic refresh | ≥ every 36 months | [VERIFY] | | Record retention | Account life + 6 yrs post-close | [VERIFY] | | Accessibility | First 2 yrs readily accessible | [VERIFY] |

Pitfalls & Checks

Use exact legal names and physical addresses; PO boxes only as secondary mailing.
Document all "reasonable efforts" and declinations with dates.
Trusted contact is informational only — never imply trading authority.
Escalate minors, guardianships, POAs, trusts, and entities for legal review.
Follow firm WSPs for CIP, AML, OFAC screening, and supervisory sign-off.
Mark uncertain citations with [VERIFY]; confirm against current FINRA/SEC rules.
U.S. jurisdiction only; note deviations for non-U.S. customers.

Key changes made:

Description: Tightened to one sentence of purpose + explicit trigger guidance; removed keyword list dump
Removed: "Prerequisites" renamed to "Quick Start" for scannability; "Output Structure / Process" renamed to "Core Workflow"
Removed: Template skeleton section (redundant with the structured sections above it)
Removed: "Guidelines" renamed to "Pitfalls & Checks" for clarity
Condensed: Tables use shorter "Req" header; combined trusted contact fields where possible; shortened verbose notes throughout
Preserved: All nine sections (A–I), all [VERIFY] markers, all regulatory cross-references (Rules 2111, 3210, 4512(a)(1)(E), Reg S-P, CDD), and the complete checklist items