Series 99 Professional Conduct and Ethics Guide

Study communications, privacy, complaint escalation, and supervisory controls tested in the second Series 99 function.

The second Series 99 chapter covers the control environment around the operations workflow. Even if funds, securities, and records are processed correctly, the firm still needs proper conduct standards, privacy controls, complaint escalation, and supervisory structure. This chapter therefore focuses on how operations professionals interact with customers, vendors, and associated persons while protecting confidential information and following the firm’s supervisory system.

Read this chapter as a control-and-escalation layer. The first chapter explains how work is done. This chapter explains how that work is governed.

What this chapter should help you do

Exam skillWhat to practice
privacy and confidentialityidentify customer-data, entitlement, and information-security concerns
complaint handlingrecognize when an issue must be documented, escalated, or reported
supervisory controlsconnect operations work to written procedures and review responsibilities
ethical conductchoose the response that protects customers, records, and firm integrity

The strongest Series 99 conduct answers are not abstract ethics statements. They identify the operational risk and then choose the documented, supervised response.

In this section

  • Relationships and Dealings
    Understand communications, vendor due diligence, and dealing standards with customers, vendors, and associated persons tested on Series 99.
  • Customer Privacy
    Review privacy, confidentiality, OBO and NOBO status, Red Flags, and customer-information controls tested on Series 99.
  • Complaint Escalation and Red Flags
    Learn complaint recognition, escalation, written-complaint records, reporting triggers, and identity-verification red flags tested on Series 99.
  • Supervision and Control
    Review segregation of duties, information barriers, WSPs, supervisory controls, and business continuity obligations tested on Series 99.
Revised on Friday, May 29, 2026