Banks, investment firms, advisory services, and fintech companies.
Financial services covers businesses whose marketing obligations differ fundamentally. The first thing we establish on any engagement is not what you call yourself but how you are registered, because that determines what the website may say.
SEC-registered advisers operate under the Marketing Rule, Rule 206(4)-1. That governs testimonials, endorsements, third-party ratings, and performance presentation, including the requirement to show net alongside gross and to use standardized time periods where applicable. State-registered advisers follow analogous state rules that mostly track the federal framework but vary in specifics.
Subject to FINRA Rule 2210. Retail communications, which includes static website pages, require approval by a registered principal before use. New member firms have additional filing obligations. Social media is treated under the same content standards, with static posts generally classified as retail communications and interactive responses as correspondence.
Firms registered both ways comply with both regimes, and practically the higher standard governs each piece of content. This is common and it is the most constrained scenario to design for.
Different framework again, with its own advertising requirements and consumer disclosure obligations. Product marketing, rate presentation, and deposit insurance references all carry specific rules.
Frequently the least constrained and the most exposed, because teams from software backgrounds sometimes do not realize which claims trigger financial regulation. Payment, lending, and advice-adjacent products all carry obligations that surprise founders.
An advisory practice needs qualification and credibility: who you serve, how you charge, and why the team is worth trusting. A bank or credit union needs product clarity, rate presentation, branch and account information, and often a genuine transactional layer. A fintech company needs product explanation and conversion, closer to SaaS in structure than to traditional financial services. An institutional or investment firm needs credibility and access rather than lead generation, often with gated materials for qualified audiences.
Registration status and which rules apply. Who reviews and approves marketing, whether that is an internal CCO or an outside compliance vendor. What archiving obligations exist. And which claims the firm has historically been told it cannot make.
That last question saves the most time. Most firms have already been through a compliance conversation that ruled something out, and knowing it upfront prevents designing around a claim that will not survive review.
We build for this category regularly and we understand the constraints well enough to design within them. We are not a compliance firm and we do not give regulatory advice. Final approval rests with your compliance function.
For related reading see what makes a great financial services website, or explore our financial services industry practice.
