BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN
Bennett Ross, Inc. has developed a Business Continuity Plan on how we will respond to events that significantly disrupt Bennett Ross’s business. Since the timing and impact of disasters and disruptions is unpredictable, we will have to be flexible in responding to actual events as they occur. With that in mind, Bennett Ross is providing you with specific details about our business continuity plan.
Contacting Us: If after a significant business disruption you cannot contact us as you usually would at +1.817.900.8454, please call our alternative number +1.817.300.0355, or go to our web site at www.bennettross.com
Our Business Continuity Plan: We plan to quickly recover and resume business operations after a significant business disruption and respond by safeguarding our employees and property, making a financial and operational assessment, protecting the firm’s books and records, and allowing our customers to transact business. In short, our business continuity plan is designed to permit our firm to resume operations as quickly as possible, given the scope and severity of the significant business disruption.
Our business continuity plan addresses: data back up and recovery; all mission critical systems; financial and operational assessments; alternative communications with customers, employees, and regulators; alternate physical location of employees; critical supplier, contractor, bank and counter-party impact; regulatory reporting; and assuring our customers prompt access to their funds and securities, if we are unable to continue our business.
Varying Disruptions: Significant business disruptions can vary in scope, such as only our firm, a single building housing our firm, the business district where our firm is located, the city where we are located, or the whole region. Within each of these areas, the severity of the disruption can also vary from minimal to severe. In a disruption to only our firm or a building housing our firm, we will transfer our operations to a local site, when needed, and expect to recover and resume business within one business day. In a disruption affecting our business district, city, or region, we will transfer our operations to a site outside of the affected area, and recover and resume business within one business day, depending on the nature of the disruption. In either situation, we plan to continue business and will notify you through our web site at www.bennettross.com or our customer emergency number, +1.817.300.0355 how to contact us. If the significant business disruption is so severe that it prevents us from remaining in business, our customers will still have prompt access to their funds and securities by contacting the issuer of their securities.
For more information: If you have questions about our business continuity planning, you can contact us at +1.817.900.8454
ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING PROGRAM
Under the USA PATRIOT Act (“PATRIOT Act”) and other regulations, broker dealers must establish a compliance program, which includes policies and procedures to detect and report suspicious transactions to the government, as well as ensure compliance with applicable laws. Firms must also implement specialized employee training programs, designate a special compliance officer and conduct independent audits of the effectiveness of the compliance program.
Broker-Dealers are also subject to requirements regarding client information and verification of that information. Financial services firms are required to verify the identity of the clients with whom they do business, determine the source of funds in a client’s account and obtain the information about a client’s wealth.
As part of our compliance with the PATRIOT Act and in support of the fight against money laundering around the world, we may ask new or existing clients for additional information and documentation about certain accounts and transactions. This information may be used to comply with various requirements, including the verification of client identity.
SECURITIES INVESTOR PROTECTION CORPORATION
Bennett Ross, Inc is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”). You can obtain information about SIPC (including the SIPC brochure) by contacting SIPC by phone at +1.202.371.8300, by mail at 805 15th Street, N.W. Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20005-2215 USA or by going to the SIPC website.