ACA Survey Explores 2026 Investment Management Compliance Programs

Over the summer, ACA Group in conjunction with the Investment Adviser Association and Yuter Compliance Consulting released a report titled “2026 Investment Management Compliance Testing Survey Report” which highlighted compliance trends across a variety of areas including AI, cybersecurity, third-party risk management, and internal compliance team structures, among other areas. According to an ACA press release, “The survey found that 85% of respondents identified AI as the hottest compliance topic for 2026, a 28-percentage-point increase from 2025, and the most dominant single response in the survey’s 21-year history.” The survey report states that 80% of firms have now formally adopted AI tools and 86% of respondents have acceptable use policies for those AI tools. Furthermore, 86% of survey respondents maintain an inventory of AI tools used by their firm. Regarding SEC examinations around the compliance function, top focus areas include advertising and marketing (57%), books and records (53%), conflicts of interest (53%), fee calculation and billing (48%), and personal trading/code of ethics (36%). The survey also details that 39% of respondents have made significant changes to their third-party risk management programs in response to increased regulatory focus.

Click here to access the ACA report on investment management compliance.