Bridging the CAT Compliance Gap: Why Firms are Turning to RSMS by CMS - almaosborne24/BLOGS GitHub Wiki

In today’s fast-paced regulatory environment, staying ahead of FINRA CAT and CAIS obligations isn’t just good governance — it’s a business imperative. Yet, many broker-dealers underestimate the complexity of CAT WSPs and the operational blind spots that can trigger regulatory scrutiny.

That’s where Capital Market Solutions (CMS) steps in — helping firms close their compliance gaps with its purpose-built platform, RSMS (Regulatory Surveillance Management Solution).

The CAT Challenge: A Moving Regulatory Target The Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), introduced to enhance market transparency, continues to evolve, with increasing focus on CAIS submissions and supervisory controls. Unfortunately, many firms still treat CAT as a once-a-month task, rather than an ongoing compliance strategy.

Here are just a few common pitfalls:

Outdated or poorly mapped WSPs that don’t reflect current CAT/CAIS practices Inconsistent data capture across systems, leading to misreporting Lack of real-time visibility into submission errors and corrections No central repository for supervisory documentation and audit response RSMS: A Proactive Approach to CAT & CAIS Compliance CMS’s RSMS platform is built to eliminate these challenges. Unlike fragmented spreadsheets and manual reviews, RSMS offers a centralized, automated solution that actively monitors CAT and CAIS submissions, flags anomalies, and aligns your WSPs with current regulatory expectations.

With RSMS, your compliance team gets:

Real-time CAT/CAIS error tracking Dynamic audit logs & WSP integration Automated updates based on FINRA rule changes Interactive dashboards for reporting and remediation This kind of system is no longer a luxury — it’s essential infrastructure for regulatory readiness.

Why This Matters Now FINRA has made it clear: the days of tolerance for reactive CAT compliance are over. Audits now include detailed examinations of how firms monitor submissions, track errors, update WSPs, and manage CAIS obligations.

If your firm can’t quickly demonstrate proactive oversight, documented procedures, and robust surveillance, you’re exposed to real regulatory risk.

With RSMS, CMS empowers firms to own their compliance — not chase it.

Ready to Modernize Your CAT Compliance Strategy? Whether you’re revisiting your WSPs, struggling with CAIS submissions, or preparing for an upcoming CAT audit — RSMS delivers the visibility, control, and automation your firm needs to stay compliant and confident.

Start your transformation today. 🔗 Learn more about RSMS 🔗 Explore our CAT Compliance Hub 🔗 Understand CAIS Connect for streamlined submissions