FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                             2001-108
                               
                               
                               
                               
           SEC POSTPONES CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENTS
           TO BROKER-DEALER BOOKS AND RECORDS RULES


       Washington,  DC, October 2, 2001 -- The Commission  has
  postponed  consideration of a recommendation to adopt  final
  amendments  to  its broker-dealer books and  records  rules,
  Rules  17a-3 and 17a-4 under the Securities Exchange Act  of
  1934,  from its open meeting on October 3 to an open meeting
  on October 26 at 10 a.m.
       
       As proposed, the amendments to Rule 17a-3 would clarify
  and  expand  recordkeeping  requirements  with  respect   to
  purchase  and  sale documents, customer records,  associated
  person  records,  customer  complaints,  and  certain  other
  matters.   The  amendments to Rule 17a-4  would  expand  the
  types  of  records  that broker-dealers  must  maintain  and
  require  broker-dealers  to  maintain  or  promptly  produce
  certain  records  at  each office  to  which  those  records
  relate.   These amendments are designed to assist securities
  regulators,  particularly state securities regulators,  when
  conducting  sales  practice examinations of  broker-dealers.
  These  amendments were originally proposed  on  October  22,
  1996 (see Exchange Act Release No. 37850, 61 FR  55593 (Oct.
  28,  1996)),  and were reproposed on October 2,  1998   (see
  Exchange Act Release No. 40518, 63 FR 54404 (Oct. 9, 1998)).
       
       
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