SEC rules prohibit registered advisers from using testimonials, which include any statement of a client’s experience with the adviser or a client’s endorsement of the adviser.
Most of you on LinkedIn will have encountered the “Endorsement” feature that LinkedIn introduced this past fall. It allows other users to verify your skills and experience in your profile.
It would be hard to argue that endorsements (like their “sister” LinkedIn recommendations) are not “testimonials,” i.e. prohibited advertising under Rule 206(4)-1(a)(1) of the Advisers Act.
While you still can choose to hide individual endorsements, LinkedIn has now added a new feature that allows advisers to hide all endorsements wholesale with one click of the mouse. It is very user friendly. If you still have doubts about the “how,” check out the following video at YouTube. If you choose not to completely hide your endorsements, I would recommend close monitoring.
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