NASAA, the North American Securities Administrators Association, is the association of state, provincial and territorial securities regulators in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Organized in 1919, it is the oldest international organization devoted to investor protection. Its 67 members are the regulators themselves, such as a state's securities division. The members license firms and their agents and investigate violations of state and provincial law; NASAA coordinates their work.
NASAA writes the state law exams that FINRA administers: the Series 63 for brokers' representatives, the Series 65 for investment adviser representatives, and the Series 66, which combines the two.
Your state regulator registers and examines smaller advisory firms, so it is often the right place to ask about a local advisor or to file a complaint about one.
How to check
NASAA's Contact Your Regulator page lists every member regulator. Contact the one in the state where the advisor is based to confirm a registration or ask about complaints.
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