Beginning March 18, investment advisor representatives in the United States will be able to register with regulators online.

Online filings will become part of the Investment Adviser Registration Depository program, developed jointly by the North American Securities Administrators Association and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The IARD system was built and is operated and maintained by the National Association of Securities Dealers.

Beginning March 18, firms that have filed on the IARD system will be able to transition their representatives’ registrations and register new representatives through the IARD system. Regulators and the investment advisor industry will benefit from the IARD system because of the significant cost and time savings from the elimination of paper filings. Investors will benefit from having easier access to information on investment adviser firms and their representatives.