Cetera Compliance asked us to reach out to all offices regarding Office Sharing. This has been a common audit finding already this year.

When is an office-sharing request form required?

If you share physical space, electronic systems, office equipment, or mail handling with any entity or person not affiliated with Cetera, an Office Sharing Request form must be submitted and pre-approved by Cetera Compliance.

Examples include:

• Sharing a conference room with an attorney
• Sharing office space with your approved OBA entity (such as a tax practice) that has unaffiliated employees
• Sharing a kitchen and bathroom with an auto insurance agency

This requirement exists for several important reasons:

• Unaffiliated individuals have not undergone the firm’s background check process.
• Shared spaces can create client confusion about which services are being provided by the affiliated branch.
• The arrangement must be reviewed to protect the privacy of firm and client information.

Please also be aware that, absent an approved exception, Cetera does not permit office sharing with persons affiliated with another broker-dealer or an unaffiliated RIA.

How to submit for approval:

• Please complete the Office Sharing Request form CET 702 and return to compliance@prosperityadvisors.com.
• It is required to attach a diagram of the space, including offices, fax machine, printer, etc. 

If you have any questions about whether your current or planned office arrangement requires disclosure or an agreement, or need help with the form requirements, please reach out via email to the Prosperity Network Compliance Team before proceeding. You can also call us at 913-529-5500, option 2.

Internal Use Only