New Rep Onboarding: A Compliance Checklist for Advisory Firms
Onboarding a new rep is more than HR paperwork. Compliance has to be baked in from day one: attestations, training, personal trading, and communications. This checklist helps you cover the bases so nothing falls through the cracks—and so you have a clear record when examiners ask how you onboard.
Pre–day one
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Confirm role and access | Determines which policies and attestations apply (e.g. access person, registered rep). |
| Add to compliance calendar | Training due dates, attestation cycles, and any pre-approval requirements. |
| Prepare packet | Code of ethics, personal trading policy, outside business policy, communications policy, and any other required reads. |
Day one / first week
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Deliver and track policy acknowledgments | Rep attests they received and will comply; you keep a dated record. |
| Code of ethics / personal trading | If they’re an access person (or equivalent), they must acknowledge and understand pre-approval and reporting. |
| Outside business activities | Disclosure form and process for any OBAs; approval before they start. |
| Communications and tech use | What channels are approved, what must be captured, and that personal devices used for business are in scope. |
| Training assignments | Assign required training (firm and, if applicable, regulatory) with due dates. |
| System access | Grant access to archive, compliance portal, or attestation tool so they’re in the workflow from the start. |
First 30 days
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Complete required training | Document completion; don’t let deadlines slip. |
| First attestation cycle | If you run quarterly (or similar), get them into the next cycle and confirm submission. |
| Confirm capture | Verify their business communications (email, approved chat) are being captured. |
| OBA and trading | Any pre-approvals or first reports; close the loop on disclosures. |
Adjacent: role changes and termination
Role changes
- Update access-person list and any new attestations or training.
- If they move from non-access to access (or vice versa), update policy acknowledgments and calendar.
Termination
- Revoke system access on their last day.
- Preserve their communications and attestations; retention still applies.
- Document offboarding in your compliance records.
Checklist at a glance
| Phase | Key actions |
|---|---|
| Pre–day one | Role confirmed; compliance calendar updated; packet prepared. |
| Day one / week one | Policy acknowledgments; code of ethics; OBA disclosure; communications policy; training assigned; system access. |
| First 30 days | Training completed; first attestation; capture verified; OBA/trading loop closed. |
| Ongoing | They’re on the regular attestation and training schedule; you have a single place to prove it. |
FAQ
What if they don’t complete training by the due date?
Have a clear consequence (e.g. no client contact or no trading until complete) and document follow-up. Don’t leave it open-ended.
Do we need a separate “compliance onboarding” form?
You can use a checklist in your HR system or a dedicated form. What matters is that you have a repeatable process and evidence that each item was done.
What about remote or hybrid reps?
Same checklist; ensure they have access to policies and systems from day one and that capture (e.g. email, approved chat) works for their setup.
When should we add them to the archive?
As soon as they have a firm email or approved channel. Don’t wait until after training—capture should start when business communication can occur.
Bottom line
Treat new rep onboarding as a compliance workflow: policies, attestations, training, personal trading, and communications from day one. A clear checklist and one place to track it (whether a spreadsheet or a compliance platform) keeps you consistent and exam-ready.
See how Cudara supports onboarding and ongoing attestations — one place for policies, attestations, and audit trail.