# Siebert Financial Corp: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2024 - Company: [Siebert Financial Corp](/companies/sieb.md) (CIK 65596) - Form: 10-K - Filed: 2025-03-31 - Accepted by EDGAR: Mar 28, 2025, 21:45 ET - Period: 2024-12-31 - Accession: 0001013762-25-004385 - Inline XBRL: yes - Main document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/65596/000101376225004385/ea0235589-10k_siebert.htm - All documents and exhibits: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/65596/000101376225004385/ ## Figures reported in this filing Standardized XBRL line items for the period ended 2024-12-31. | Line item | Period | Value | XBRL concept | | --- | --- | ---: | --- | | Revenue | 12 months, 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | $83.9m | us-gaap:Revenues | | Operating income | 12 months, 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | $17.5m | us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss | | Income tax | 12 months, 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | $4.2m | us-gaap:IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit | | Net income | 12 months, 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | $13.3m | us-gaap:ProfitLoss | | Diluted EPS | 12 months, 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | $0.33 | us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted | | Basic EPS | 12 months, 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | $0.33 | us-gaap:EarningsPerShareBasic | | Diluted shares (weighted) | 12 months, 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | 39,951,510 shares | us-gaap:WeightedAverageNumberOfDilutedSharesOutstanding | | Operating cash flow | 12 months, 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | $10.1m | us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | | Capital expenditure | 12 months, 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 | $223.0k | us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment | | Cash and equivalents | at 2024-12-31 | $32.6m | us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue | | Current assets | at 2024-12-31 | $491.5m | us-gaap:AssetsCurrent | | Total assets | at 2024-12-31 | $519.7m | us-gaap:Assets | | Current liabilities | at 2024-12-31 | $427.8m | us-gaap:LiabilitiesCurrent | | Total liabilities | at 2024-12-31 | $434.6m | us-gaap:Liabilities | | Long-term debt | at 2024-12-31 | $4.1m | us-gaap:LongTermDebtNoncurrent | | Current portion of debt | at 2024-12-31 | $88.0k | us-gaap:LongTermDebtCurrent | | Shareholders' equity | at 2024-12-31 | $84.1m | us-gaap:StockholdersEquity | ## Business As filed, 35,992 characters. ### Overview of Company Siebert Financial Corp., together with its subsidiaries, is a diversified financial services firm and provides a full range of brokerage and financial advisory services including securities brokerage, investment advisory and insurance offerings, and corporate stock plan administration solutions. Our firm is characterized by building solid relationships with our clients through exceptional personal service and proven performance. We have a strong legacy and continue to evolve in our approach to take advantage of opportunities in the financial services industry. As part of our strategic initiatives to diversify and create synergies between our enterprises, we acquired a media and entertainment company. Additionally we created an investment advisory committee with several veterans in the entertainment industry. We conduct the following lines of business through our wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries: - Muriel Siebert & Co., LLC (“MSCO”) provides retail brokerage services. MSCO is a Delaware corporation and broker-dealer registered with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”), Euroclear, and the National Futures Association (“NFA”), and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). - Siebert AdvisorNXT, LLC (“SNXT”) provides investment advisory services. SNXT is a New York corporation registered with the SEC as a Registered Investment Advisor (“RIA”) under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”), and the CFTC. - Park Wilshire Companies, Inc. (“PW”) provides insurance services. PW is a Texas corporation and licensed insurance agency. - Siebert Technologies, LLC (“STCH”) provides technology development. STCH is a Nevada limited liability company. - RISE Financial Services, LLC, (“RISE”) is a Delaware limited liability company and a broker-dealer registered with the SEC, CFTC, FINRA, SIPC and NFA. - StockCross Digital Solutions, Ltd. (“STXD”) is an inactive subsidiary headquartered in Bermuda. - Gebbia Entertainment, LLC (“GE”) is a Florida limited liability company and provides media entertainment services. For purposes of this Annual Report, the terms “Siebert,” “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Siebert Financial Corp., MSCO, SNXT, PW, STCH, RISE, STXD, and GE, collectively, unless the context otherwise requires. Our headquarters is located at 653 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139, with primary operations in New York, Florida and California. Our phone number is (310) 385-1861 and our Internet address is www.siebert.com. Information included or available through our website does not constitute a part of this Report. We have 10 branch offices throughout the U.S. and clients around the world. As of March 11, 2025, we had 146 full-time employees. Our common stock is registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and we file periodic reports with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and proxy and information statements on Schedule 14. The SEC maintains a website (www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding companies that file documents electronically with the SEC. Our SEC filings are also available through our website at www.siebert.com, where investors are able to obtain copies of our public filings free of charge. Our common stock, par value $.01 per share trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SIEB.” ### Subsidiaries and Business Offerings ### Muriel Siebert & Co., LLC. ### Overview MSCO has been providing online and traditional discount brokerage services to clients for over 55 years. MSCO was founded in 1967 by Muriel F. (“Mickie”) Siebert, a trailblazer who was the first woman to own a seat on the NYSE and the first to head one of its member firms. On May 1, 1975, after the federal government banned fixed commissions by brokers, Mickie broke barriers and declared MSCO a discount brokerage firm. In May 2022, MSCO received approval to expand its clearing services in the U.S. by acting as a correspondent clearing firm for institutional and online broker-dealers, registered investment advisors and other asset managers. Achieving this milestone strengthens our core competencies, diversifies our business, and reinforces our commitment as a strategic partner to our clients. Today, MSCO offers a wide range of products and services and is the primary subsidiary of Siebert. ### Products and Services MSCO offers a wide range of products and services, including the following: - Self-directed trading - Market making and fixed income investments - Stock borrow / stock loan - Equity compensation plans (Siebert Corporate Services) - Wealth management / financial advice ### Additional Information #### Brokerage and Related Services MSCO offers a wide selection of quality investment services, including broker assisted trades and free online self-service features such as real time quotes, market data, and trading tools. MSCO is a self-clearing broker-dealer and also clears with National Financial Services Corp. (“NFS”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of FMR, LLC (“Fidelity Investments”). #### Securities Finance and Market Making We operate our Securities Finance Group, which is a division that consists primarily of our stock borrow / stock loan and related services. Our management team brings decades of securities finance experience to this division. We have seen positive results in recent years and are committed to continue to expand our securities finance operations. We make markets in multiple exchanges and in over 500 equity securities and fixed income products. The client service offerings within our Market Making division have evolved with the capital markets and different trading strategies. Our strengths include trading experience in domestic markets, enhanced liquidity, and the search for significant price improvement. The ability of our Market Making division to execute large orders continues to be a strategic advantage in supporting the growth of our Corporate Services division. #### Corporate Services We are dedicated to helping publicly traded companies and their employees manage their equity compensation plans. Corporate services are a key component of our business, and we leverage our technology partnerships to create a distinct advantage through FIX connection trading and real-time transaction reporting. Siebert Corporate Services primarily supports small and mid-cap public companies. Below are some key points of our strategic outlook and initiatives within Siebert Corporate Services. - Strategic Shift and Business Evolution: Throughout 2023, Siebert Corporate Services has initiated a strategy shift, transitioning from transaction-based service delivery to focus on the overall client experience. - Investment in Innovation and Technology: We have made a commitment to innovation and investment in technology that we believe will provide efficiencies and accelerate our service-to-sales model. This strategic approach is critical in driving future growth in account conversion revenue. - Future Outlook: Industry consolidation and rising minimum plan value requirements among competitors is creating an underserved market of public issuers looking for new service providers. Siebert Corporate Services is currently developing an enhanced equity management solution to capture new market opportunities. #### Independent Retail Execution Services MSCO and its clearing firms monitor order flow in efforts to ensure that customers are getting the best possible trade executions. All equity orders are routed in a manner intended to afford MSCO’s customers the most favorable terms on all orders. MSCO also offers customers execution services through various market centers for an additional fee, providing customers access to numerous market centers before and after regular market hours. Customers may buy or sell fixed income securities, municipal bonds, corporate bonds, mortgage-backed securities, government sponsored enterprises, unit investment trusts, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, and other securities. These transactions are serviced by MSCO’s registered representatives. #### Retail Customer Service MSCO believes that its superior customer service enhances its ability to compete with larger brokerage firms and provides retail customers with personal service via access to dedicated customer service personnel for all of its products and services. Customer service personnel, located in MSCO’s branch offices, are cross trained to assist with all clients’ needs for a reliable experience. MSCO uses a variety of customer relationship management systems that enable representatives in any location to review and respond to customers’ requests in a timely manner. #### Retirement Accounts MSCO offers customers a variety of self-directed retirement accounts. Each IRA, SEP IRA, ROTH IRA, and KEOGH account can be invested in a variety of qualified investments in a consolidated account. MSCO acts as its own custodian for retirement accounts and also utilizes NFS for IRA custody. MSCO offers self-directed retirement accounts and also has registered representatives dedicated to assisting clients in meeting their retirement goals. #### Customer Financing Customer margin accounts are carried whereby money is lent to customers for a portion of the market value of marginable securities held in the customer’s account. Margin loans are collateralized by these securities. Customers also may sell securities short in a margin account, subject to minimum equity and applicable margin requirements, and the availability of such securities to be borrowed. In permitting customers to engage in margin financing, short sale or any other transaction, MSCO assumes the risk of its customers’ failure to meet their obligations in the event adverse changes in the market affect the value of the margined securities positions. MSCO and NFS reserve the right to set margin requirements higher than those established by the Federal Reserve System. MSCO has established policies with respect to maximum purchase commitments for new customers or customers with inadequate collateral to support a requested purchase. When transactions occur outside normal guidelines, MSCO monitors accounts closely until their payment obligations are completed. If the customer does not meet the required commitments, MSCO takes steps to close out the position and minimize any loss. In the last five years, MSCO has not had any significant losses as a result of customers failing to meet commitments. #### Information and Communications Systems MSCO relies heavily on its data technology platform and the platform provided by its clearing agents. These platforms offer interfaces to MSCO’s clearing service providers’ computing systems where all customer account records are kept and are accessible through MSCO’s data technology platform. MSCO’s systems also utilize browser-based access and other types of data communications. MSCO’s representatives use NFS systems, by way of MSCO’s data technology platform, to perform daily operational functions which include trade entry, trade reporting, clearing-related activities, risk management and account maintenance. MSCO’s data technology platform offers services used in direct relation to customer activities as well as support for corporate use. Some of these services include email and messaging, market data systems and third-party trading systems, business productivity tools and customer relationship management systems. MSCO’s data network is designed with redundancies in case a significant business disruption occurs. To ensure reliability and to conform to regulatory requirements related to business continuity, MSCO maintains backup systems and backup data, leverages cloud-based technology, and has a full-time offsite disaster recovery site to ensure business continuity during a potential wide-spread disruption. However, despite the preventive and protective measures in place, in the event of a wide-spread disruption, MSCO’s ability to satisfy the obligations to customers and other securities firms may be significantly hampered or completely disrupted. For more information regarding our business continuity plan, refer to the Business Continuity Statement on our website. We are consistently enhancing technology for both our customers as well as our internal operations. We are currently in the process of developing a new retail platform (“Retail Platform”) for our customers and integrating it into our operations. #### Investment Banking and Capital Markets During the first quarter of 2025, the Company established an Investment Banking and Capital Markets division as part of its strategic expansion designed to serve middle-market clients often overlooked by larger financial institutions. The Company has hired several experienced professionals with extensive experience in capital markets, M&A, and financial advisory services to lead and develop this growth initiative. These hires represent a significant investment in the Company’s future operations. ### Siebert AdvisorNXT, Inc. ### Overview SNXT offers customers our proprietary robo-advisory technology that utilizes trading algorithms initially developed by STCH to create our robo-advisor. This technology provides clients with cost-efficient, competitively priced, and automated wealth management solutions intended to maximize portfolio returns based on specific risk tolerance. The platform utilizes Nobel Prize-winning Modern Portfolio Theory (“MPT”) to create optimal portfolios for each client. We provide web-based tools to enable clients to monitor and interact with the robo-advisor’s automated portfolio manager application. The robo-advisor selects low-cost, well-managed, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) that represent the asset classes that provide clients the necessary risk-adjusted exposure given current market conditions. The robo-advisor continuously monitors and periodically rebalances portfolios to address changes in market and economic conditions. ### Products and Services The products and services offered by SNXT include: - Managed portfolios - Separately managed accounts ### Park Wilshire Companies, Inc. ### Overview PW is a full-service insurance agency founded in 2010. Through PW, our product offerings include various insurance products such as fixed annuities and property and casualty insurance. ### Products and Services The products and services offered by PW include: - Fixed annuities - Personal insurance - Property and casualty insurance - Natural disaster insurance - Life and disability ### Siebert Technologies, LLC ### Overview STCH is an innovative technology subsidiary dedicated to advancing new technology for our clients as well as our business operations. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, STCH is positioned to drive the evolution of our products and services, delivering greater efficiency, accessibility, and value to our clients. With a focus on future fintech opportunities, STCH aims to be at the forefront of developing transformative solutions that will cater to both retail and corporate service clients. During 2024, we hired a new President of STCH with over 25 years of experience in technology leadership and innovation, changed our primary software development vendor, and made investments in technology development. Some of these technology investments include the development of a Siebert mobile trading application, online platform for our retail customer base and corporate services clients, as well as upgrades to our technological and operational infrastructure to support these platforms and future growth. We believe that these ongoing investments in technology will be key to meeting the needs of our retail customers, correspondent clearing, corporate services as well as expand into new markets and demographics. We look to continue to expand this business line and additional product offerings through technology development. ### RISE Financial Services, LLC ### Overview RISE, a registered broker-dealer with the SEC and a member of FINRA, is currently conducting a comprehensive review of its strategic initiatives to evaluate potential opportunities and determine the most effective course of action for future operations. ### Gebbia Entertainment, LLC ### Overview GE is a media entertainment company with reach into the realms of music, entertainment and media. GE has a business partnership with GAMMA Media and L.A Reid LLC for the rights to SIMIEN, a talented group of three sisters from Los Angeles, California who are managed by the globally renowned singer, songwriter and producer, Akon, who also serves as a member of the Company’s advisory committee. ### Other Business Developments ### Advisory Committee In 2024, we established a new advisory committee composed of prominent leaders from the finance, technology, sports, and entertainment industries. This committee provides strategic guidance to us as we pursue an ambitious growth strategy. The advisory committee includes globally recognized artist and entrepreneur Akon, former NFL athlete and media entrepreneur Brandon Marshall, Wall Street professional Mick Solimene (Managing Director, Monroe Capital), Steven Geskos (Operating Partner, Fifth Down), entertainment entrepreneur Nick Jarjour (CEO, JarjourCo and former Global Head of Song Management at Hipgnosis Songs Fund), and Laura J. Richardson (retired United States Army general). Each advisory committee member brings unique expertise and an extensive network to support Siebert’s innovation and expansion. Notably, Akon, known for his entrepreneurial ventures and philanthropic initiatives, has partnered with GE in co-managing SIMIEN, a rising female recording artist group. The advisory committee meets regularly to discuss key opportunities, leveraging their collective experience in an effort to drive our growth and enhance shareholder value. ### Strategic Initiatives In 2024, we began undertaking a strategic rebranding initiative designed to enhance our digital presence and expand our evolving services. As part of this rebranding, we have shifted our focus to provide innovative financial management solutions tailored to a diverse range of clients such as athletes and artists, bridging the gap between traditional finance and creative industries. By integrating cutting-edge technologies, we aim to position ourselves as a forward-thinking leader, delivering relevant and insightful content to our audience. This revitalized approach reflects our commitment to staying ahead of industry trends and offering a more personalized, impactful experience to our clients. ### Competition We encounter significant competition from full-commission, online and discount brokerage firms, including zero commission firms, as well as from financial institutions, mutual fund sponsors, venture-backed technology and cryptocurrency firms, and other organizations. Although there has been consolidation in the industry in both the online and traditional brokerage business during recent years, we believe that additional competitors such as banks, insurance companies, providers of online financial and information services, and others will continue to be attracted to the brokerage industry. We compete with a wide variety of vendors of financial services for the same customers; however, our success in the financial services industry is a result of our high-quality customer service, responsiveness, products offered, and excellent executions. ### Regulations ### Overview The securities industry in the U.S. is subject to extensive regulation under both federal and state laws. The SEC is the federal agency charged with administration of the federal securities laws. MSCO and RISE are registered as broker-dealers with the SEC. MSCO is a member of the NYSE and FINRA, and RISE is a member of FINRA. Much of the regulation of broker-dealers has been delegated to self-regulatory organizations (“SROs”), principally FINRA, which is MSCO’s and RISE’s primary regulator with respect to financial and operational compliance. These SROs adopt rules (subject to approval by the SEC) governing their members and conduct periodic examinations of broker-dealers. Securities firms are also subject to regulation by state securities authorities in the states in which they do business. MSCO is registered as a broker-dealer in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and RISE is registered as a broker-dealer in 7 states and territories. These regulations affect our business operations and impose capital, client protection, and market conduct requirements, among others. ### Conduct and Training The principal purpose of regulation and discipline of broker-dealers is the protection of customers and the securities markets. The regulations to which broker-dealers are subject cover all aspects of the securities business, including training and supervision of personnel, sales methods, trading practices among broker-dealers, uses and safekeeping of customers’ funds and securities, capital structure of securities firms, record keeping, fee arrangements, disclosure to clients, and the conduct of directors, officers and employees. Additional legislation, changes in rules promulgated by the SEC and by SROs and/or changes in the interpretation or enforcement of existing laws and rules may directly affect the methods of operation and profitability of broker-dealers. The SEC, SROs and state securities authorities may conduct administrative proceedings which can result in censure, fine, cease and desist orders or suspension or expulsion of a broker-dealer, its officers or its employees. ### Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 As a result of the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in 2010 (“Dodd-Frank”), the adoption of implementing regulations by the federal regulatory agencies, and other recent regulatory reforms, we have experienced significant changes in the laws and regulations that apply to us, how we are regulated, and regulatory expectations in the areas of compliance, risk management, corporate governance, operations, capital and liquidity. ### Regulation Best Interest Pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, the SEC was charged with considering whether broker-dealers should be subject to a standard of care similar to the fiduciary standard applicable to RIAs. In June 2019, the SEC adopted a package of rules and interpretations related to the provision of advice by broker-dealers and investment advisers, including Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS (collectively, these regulations, rules and interpretations are referred to herein as the “Regulation Best Interest Rules”). Among other things, Regulation Best Interest requires a broker-dealer to act in the best interest of a retail customer when making a recommendation to that customer of any securities transaction or investment strategy involving securities. Form CRS requires that broker-dealers and investment advisers provide retail investors with a brief summary document containing simple, easy-to-understand information about the nature of the relationship between the parties. Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS had a compliance date of June 30, 2020. The Regulation Best Interest Rules have impacted the conduct of our business, especially with respect to our business with our retail clients. The need for enhanced documentation for recommendations of securities transactions to broker-dealer retail clients as well as the increased supervision of sales practices and transactions increased the amount of record-keeping and training for our sales staff. The related new rules and procedures have and may continue to bring increased costs associated with compliance and enhanced technology. We operate pursuant to the Regulation Best Interest Rules and as such, we conduct thorough training of all our employees with respect to the requirements of Regulation Best Interest. Additionally, we created the Regulation Best Interest Rule’s required documents and completed each of the required mailings (both electronic and conventional) prior to the effective date. We believe that the changes made to our business processes resulted in compliance with these new requirements. As business continues to be conducted under the Regulation Best Interest Rules, it is likely that additional changes may be necessary. ### SIPC As a registered broker-dealer and FINRA member organization, MSCO and RISE are required by federal law to belong to SIPC which provides, in the event of the liquidation of a broker-dealer, protection for securities held in customer accounts held by the firm of up to $500,000 per customer, subject to a limitation of $250,000 on claims for cash balances. SIPC is principally funded through assessments on registered broker-dealers. MSCO has purchased $50 million additional account protection above SIPC coverage. Equities, bonds, mutual funds and money market funds are included at net asset value for purposes of SIPC protection and additional protection. Neither SIPC protection nor the additional protection insures against fluctuations in the market value of securities. ### MSRB MSCO is also authorized by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (“MSRB”) to affect transactions in municipal securities on behalf of its customers and has obtained certain additional registrations with the SEC and state regulatory agencies necessary to permit it to engage in certain other activities incidental to its brokerage business. ### Margin Lending Margin lending activities are subject to limitations imposed by regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and FINRA, as well as other SROs. In general, these regulations provide that, in the event of a significant decline in the value of securities collateralizing a margin account, we are required to obtain additional collateral from the borrower or liquidate securities positions. Margin lending arranged by MSCO through third parties is subject to the margin rules of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the NYSE. Under such rules, broker-dealers are limited in the amount they may lend in connection with certain purchases and short sales of securities and are also required to impose certain maintenance requirements on the amount of securities and cash held in margin accounts. In addition, those rules and rules of the Chicago Board Options Exchange govern the amount of margin customers must provide and maintain uncovered options in writing. ### Investment Advisers Act of 1940 SNXT is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser pursuant to the Advisers Act. The Advisers Act, together with the SEC’s regulations and interpretations thereunder, is a highly prescriptive regulatory statute. The SEC is authorized to institute proceedings and impose sanctions for violations of the Advisers Act, ranging from fines and censures to termination of an adviser’s registration and, in the case of willful violations, can refer a matter to the United States Department of Justice for criminal prosecution. Under the Advisers Act, an investment adviser (whether or not registered under the Advisers Act) owes fiduciary duties to its clients. These duties impose standards, requirements and limitations on, among other things, trading for proprietary, personal and client accounts; allocations of investment opportunities among clients; use of “soft dollar arrangements,” a practice that involves using client brokerage commissions to purchase research or other services that help managers make investment decisions; execution of transactions; and recommendations to clients. As an RIA, SNXT is subject to additional requirements that cover, among other things, disclosure of information about its business to clients; maintenance of written policies and procedures; maintenance of extensive books and records; restrictions on the types of fees SNXT may charge; custody of client assets; client privacy; advertising; and solicitation of clients. The SEC has legal authority to examine any RIA and, depending upon the type of exam, may review the examined RIAs to determine whether the adviser is conducting its activities in compliance with (i) applicable laws and regulations, (ii) disclosures made to clients and (iii) adequate systems, policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent and detect violations of the Advisers Act. Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act provides a “safe harbor” to investment managers who use commission dollars generated by their advised accounts to obtain investment research and brokerage services that provide lawful and appropriate assistance to the manager in the performance of investment decision-making responsibilities. SNXT, as a matter of policy, does not use “soft dollars” and as such, it has no incentive to select or recommend a broker or dealer based on any interest in receiving research or related services. Rather, as a fiduciary, SNXT selects brokers based on its clients’ interest in receiving best execution. ### Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 We conduct financial services activities that are subject to the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 (“BSA”), as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (“PATRIOT Act”), which require financial institutions to develop and implement programs reasonably designed to achieve compliance with these regulations. The BSA and PATRIOT Act include a variety of monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements (such as currency transaction reporting and suspicious activity reporting) as well as identity verification and client due diligence requirements, which are intended to detect, report and/or prevent money laundering, and the financing of terrorism. As FINRA member firms, MSCO and RISE are subject to FINRA rules requiring written anti-money laundering programs. In addition, we are subject to U.S. sanctions programs administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. ### Net Capital As registered broker-dealers, MSCO and RISE are subject to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder relating to broker-dealers, such as minimum net capital requirements under the SEC Uniform Net Capital Rule (Rule 15c3-1) and segregation of fully paid client funds and securities under the SEC Customer Protection Rule (Rule 15c3-3), administered by the SEC and FINRA. Net capital rules are designed to protect clients, counterparties and creditors by requiring a broker-dealer to have sufficient liquid resources available to satisfy its financial obligations. Net capital is a measure of a broker-dealer’s readily available liquid assets, reduced by its total liabilities other than approved subordinated debt. Under the SEC Uniform Net Capital Rule, a broker-dealer may not repay any subordinated borrowings, pay cash dividends or make any unsecured advances or loans to its parent company or employees if such payment would result in a net capital amount below required levels. Failure to maintain the required regulatory net capital may subject a firm to suspension or expulsion by the NYSE or FINRA, as well as certain punitive actions by the SEC and other regulatory bodies, which ultimately could require a firm’s liquidation. ### Best Execution As explained in SEC guidelines and FINRA rules, brokers are required to seek the “best execution” reasonably available for their clients’ orders. In part, this requires brokers to use reasonable diligence so that the price to the client is as favorable as possible under prevailing market conditions. MSCO and RISE send client orders for execution to a number of market centers, including market makers and exchanges, which encourages competition and ensures redundancy. For non-directed client orders, it is our policy to route orders to market centers based on a number of factors that are more fully discussed in the Supplemental Materials of FINRA Rule 5310, including, where applicable, but not necessarily limited to, speed of execution, price improvement opportunities, differences in price dis-improvement, likelihood of execution, the marketability of the order, size guarantees, service levels and support, the reliability of order handling systems, client needs and expectations, transaction costs, and whether the firm will receive remuneration for routing order flow to such market centers. Price improvement is available under certain market conditions and for certain order types and we regularly monitor executions to ensure best execution standards are met. ### Consumer Financial Information Privacy In providing services to clients, we manage, utilize and store sensitive and confidential client data, including personal data. As a result, we are subject to numerous laws and regulations designed to protect this information, such as U.S. federal and state laws and regulations governing the protection of personally identifiable information. These laws and regulations are increasing in complexity and number, changing frequently and sometimes conflict. To the extent they are applicable to us, we must comply with federal and state information-related laws and regulations in the United States, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, SEC Regulation S-P, the Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, and Regulation S-ID (the Identity Theft Red Flags Rule), as well as the California Consumer Protection Act and further potential federal and state requirements. ### Human Capital Our success depends on our ability to attract, hire, retain and develop highly skilled professionals in a variety of specialties, including finance, technology, compliance, business development, cybersecurity and management. Due to the complexity of our business, we compete for talent with other companies, both inside and outside of our industry, and in multiple geographical areas in the U.S. Our human capital efforts focus on establishing a culture of service that emphasizes taking care of our employees, so they can take care of our clients. To that end, we seek employees who are approachable, proactive, collaborative, agile and innovative, and who share our commitment to excellence, integrity, and service. As of March 11, 2025, we had 146 employees, two of whom were corporate officers. None of our employees are represented by a union, and we believe that relations with our employees are good. To maintain a high-caliber, values-driven workforce that is committed to our culture, we strive to offer total rewards, including compensation and benefits that position our company as an employer of choice. We design our compensation to be competitive in the markets in which we compete and closely monitor industry trends and practices to ensure we are able to attract and retain the personnel who are critical to our success. To support our employees’ health and well-being, we offer competitive medical, dental and vision plans as well as other health benefits. We believe in our employees’ potential and provide training and development opportunities intended to maximize their performance and professional growth. We require all of our employees to complete courses in key regulatory areas, such as insider trading and anti-money laundering compliance. We aim to provide a safe, inclusive environment for our employees where they feel engaged in our business, supported in who they are and empowered to succeed. We are committed to providing a workplace that is free from violence, harassment and other unsafe or disruptive conditions, and require our personnel to attend regular training sessions and workshops on those topics. ## Risk factors As filed, 43,928 characters. ### Regulatory Risks ***Legislation has and may continue to result in changes to rules and regulations applicable to our business, which may negatively impact our business and financial results.*** New laws, rules, regulations and guidance, or changes in the interpretation and enforcement of existing federal, state, foreign and SRO laws, rules, regulations and guidance may directly affect our business and the profitability of Siebert or the operation of specific business lines. In addition, new and changing laws, rules, regulation and guidance could result in limitations on the lines of business we conduct, modifications to our business practices, more stringent capital and liquidity requirements or other costs and could limit our ability to return capital to stockholders. The Dodd-Frank Act, enacted in 2010, required many federal agencies to adopt new rules and regulations applicable to the financial services industry and called for many studies regarding various industry practices. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Act gave the SEC discretion to adopt rules regarding standards of conduct for broker-dealers providing investment advice to retail customers. The rules and interpretations adopted by the SEC in June 2019 include Regulation Best Interest and the Form CRS Relationship Summary, which are intended to enhance the quality and transparency of retail investors’ relationships with broker-dealers and investment advisers. Regulation Best Interest enhances the broker-dealer standard of conduct beyond existing suitability obligations, requiring compliance with disclosure, care, conflict of interest and compliance obligations. The regulation requires that a broker-dealer or natural person who is an associated person of the broker-dealer shall act in the best interest of the retail customer at the time it makes a recommendation of any securities transaction or investment strategy involving securities, prioritizing the interests of the customer above any interests of the broker-dealer or its associated persons. Among other things, this requires the broker-dealer to mitigate conflicts of interest arising from financial incentives in selling securities products. The new rules and processes related thereto have and will most likely continue to involve increased costs, including, but not limited to, compliance costs associated with new or enhanced technology. In addition to the foregoing laws affecting regulation of our industry, Congress is considering various proposals to increase taxation relating to investments, which may adversely impact the volume of trading and other transactions from which we derive our revenue. It is not possible to determine the extent of the impact of any new laws, regulations or initiatives that may be imposed, or whether any existing proposals will become law. Conformance with any new laws or regulations could make compliance more difficult and expensive and affect the manner in which we conduct business. ***We are subject to extensive government regulation and to third party litigation risk and regulatory risk which could result in significant liabilities and reputational harm which, in turn, could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.*** Our business is subject to extensive regulation in the U.S., at both the federal and state level. We are also subject to regulation by SROs and other regulatory bodies in the U.S., such as the SEC, the NYSE, FINRA, MSRB, the CFTC and the NFA. MSCO is registered as a broker-dealer in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and RISE is registered as a broker-dealer in 7 states and territories. The regulations to which MSCO and RISE are subject as broker-dealers cover all aspects of the securities business including training of personnel, sales methods, trading practices, uses and safe keeping of customers’ funds and securities, capital structure, record keeping, fee arrangements, disclosure and the conduct of directors, officers and employees. SNXT is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC under the Advisers Act, and its business is highly regulated. The Advisers Act imposes numerous obligations on RIAs, including fiduciary, record keeping, operational and disclosure obligations. Moreover, the Advisers Act grants broad administrative powers to regulatory agencies such as the SEC to regulate investment advisory businesses. If the SEC or other government agencies believe that SNXT has failed to comply with applicable laws or regulations, these agencies have the power to impose fines, suspensions of a registrant and individual employees or other sanctions, which could include revocation of SNXT’s registration under the Advisers Act. SNXT is also subject to the provisions and regulations of ERISA, to the extent that SNXT acts as a “fiduciary” under ERISA with respect to certain of its clients. ERISA and the applicable provisions of the federal tax laws impose a number of duties on persons who are fiduciaries under ERISA and prohibit certain transactions involving the assets of each ERISA plan which is a client, as well as certain transactions by the fiduciaries (and certain other related parties) to such plans. Our subsidiaries, RISE and MSCO, are also regulated by the NFA and function as a registered introducing broker. The laws, rules and regulations, as well as governmental policies and accounting principles, governing our business and the financial services and banking industries generally have changed significantly over recent years and are expected to continue to do so. We cannot predict which changes in laws, rules, regulations, governmental policies or accounting principles will be adopted. Any changes in the laws, rules, regulations, governmental policies or accounting principles relating to our business could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, like other participants in the financial services industry, we and our subsidiaries face the risks of lawsuits from clients and regulatory proceedings against us. The outcome of regulatory proceedings and client lawsuits is uncertain and difficult to predict. An adverse resolution of any regulatory proceeding or client lawsuit against us could result in substantial costs or reputational harm to us. Further, any such proceedings or lawsuits could have an adverse effect on our ability to retain key registered representatives, investment advisers and wealth managers, and to retain existing clients or attract new clients, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Refer to Item 3 – Legal Proceedings for additional detail. ### We are subject to net capital requirements. The SEC, FINRA, and various other securities and commodities exchanges and other regulatory bodies in the U.S. have rules with respect to net capital requirements which affect us. These rules have the effect of requiring that at least a substantial portion of a broker-dealer’s assets be kept in cash or highly liquid investments. Our compliance with the net capital requirements could limit operations that require intensive use of capital, such as underwriting or trading activities. These rules could also restrict our ability to withdraw our capital, even in circumstances where we have more than the minimum amount of required capital, which, in turn, could limit our ability to implement growth strategies. In addition, a change in such rules, or the imposition of new rules, affecting the scope, coverage, calculation or amount of such net capital requirements, or a significant operating loss or any unusually large charge against net capital, could have similar adverse effects. ### Risks Related to Our Technology and Information Systems ***We rely on information processing and communications systems to process and record our transactions.*** Our operations rely heavily on information processing and communications systems. Our system for processing securities transactions is highly automated. Failure of our information processing or communications systems for a significant period of time could limit our ability to process a large volume of transactions accurately and rapidly. This could cause us to be unable to satisfy our obligations to customers and other securities firms and could result in regulatory violations. External events, such as an earthquake, terrorist attack or power failure, loss of external information feeds, such as security price information, as well as internal malfunctions such as those that could occur during the implementation of system modifications, could render part or all of these systems inoperative. ### We rely on third-party platforms for information and communications systems. We rely heavily on our data technology platforms and the platforms provided by our clearing agents. These platforms offer interfaces to our clearing service providers’ computing systems where customer account records are kept and are accessible through our data technology platforms. Our systems also utilize browser-based access and other types of data communications. Our data technology platforms offer services used in direct relation to customer activities as well as support for corporate use. Some of these services include email and messaging, market data systems and third-party trading systems, business productivity tools and customer relationship management systems. Our data network is designed with redundancies in case a significant business disruption occurs. We also rely on third parties that provide data center facilities, infrastructure, back-office systems for clearance, settlement and accounting, customer relationship management, compliance and risk software and systems, website functionality and access, databases, data center facilities and cloud computing, all of which are critical to our operations. To ensure reliability and to conform to regulatory requirements related to business continuity, we maintain backup systems and backup data, leverage cloud-based technology, and have a full-time offsite disaster recovery site to ensure business continuity during a potential wide-spread disruption. However, despite the preventive and protective measures in place, in the event of a wide-spread disruption of our systems or those of the third-parties upon whom we rely, our ability to satisfy the obligations to customers and other securities firms may be significantly hampered or completely disrupted. ***Failure to protect client data or prevent breaches of our information systems could expose us to liability or reputational damage.*** We are dependent on information technology networks and systems to securely process, transmit and store electronic information and to communicate among our branch offices and with our clients and vendors. As the breadth and complexity of this infrastructure continues to grow, the potential risk of security breaches and cyber-attacks increases. As a financial services company, we are continuously subject to cyber-attacks by third parties. Any such security breach could lead to shutdowns or disruptions of our systems and potential unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. In addition, vulnerabilities of our external service providers and other third parties could pose security risks to client information. The secure transmission of confidential information over public networks is also a critical element of our operations. In providing services to clients, we manage, utilize and store sensitive and confidential client data, including personal data. As a result, we are subject to numerous laws and regulations designed to protect this information, such as U.S. federal and state laws governing the protection of personally identifiable information. These laws and regulations are increasing in complexity and number, changing frequently and sometimes conflict. If any person, including any of our employees, negligently disregards or intentionally breaches our established controls with respect to client data, or otherwise mismanages or misappropriates that data, we could be subject to significant monetary damages, regulatory enforcement actions, fines and/or criminal prosecution in one or more jurisdictions. Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential client data, whether through systems failure, employee negligence, fraud or misappropriation, could damage our reputation and cause us to lose clients. Similarly, unauthorized access to or through our information systems, whether by our employees or third parties, including a cyber-attack by third parties who may deploy viruses, worms or other malicious software programs, could result in negative publicity, significant remediation costs, legal liability, and damage to our reputation and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. We have purchased liability insurance and cybersecurity insurance with a coverage limit of $15 million and a deductible of $250,000 to mitigate the financial impact of potential cyber-attacks. However, our insurance may not be sufficient in type or amount to fully cover claims arising from security breaches, cyber-attacks, and other related incidents. ***We may be exposed to damage to our business or our reputation by cybersecurity breaches.*** As the world becomes more interconnected through the use of the internet and users rely more extensively on the internet and the cloud for the transmission and storage of data, such information becomes more susceptible to incursion by hackers and other parties intent on stealing or destroying data on which we or our customers rely. We face an evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats in which hackers use a complex array of means to perpetrate cyber-attacks, including the use of stolen access credentials, malware, ransomware, phishing, structured query language injection attacks, and distributed denial-of-service attacks, among other means. These cybersecurity incidents have increased in number and severity, and it is expected that these trends will continue. Should we be affected by such an incident, we may incur substantial costs and suffer other negative consequences, which may include: - Remediation costs, such as liability for stolen assets or information, repairs of system damage, and incentives to customers or business partners in an effort to maintain relationships after an attack; - Increased cybersecurity protection costs, which may include the costs of making organizational changes, deploying additional personnel and protection technologies, training employees, and engaging third party experts and consultants; - Lost revenues resulting from the unauthorized use of proprietary information or the failure to retain or attract customers following an attack; - Litigation and legal risks, including regulatory actions by state and federal regulators; and - Loss of reputation. Increasingly, intruders attempt to steal significant amounts of data, including personally identifiable data and either hold such data for ransom or release it onto the internet, exposing our clients to financial or other harm and thereby significantly increasing our liability in such cases. Our regulators have introduced programs to review our protections against such incidents which, if they determined that our systems do not reasonably protect our clients’ assets and their data, could result in enforcement activity and sanctions. We have and continue to introduce systems and software to prevent any such incidents and review and increase our defenses to such issues through the use of various services, programs and outside vendors. We contract cybersecurity consultants and also review and revise our cybersecurity policy to ensure that it remains up to date. It is impossible, however, for us to know when or if such incidents may arise or the business impact of any such incident. As a result of such risks, we have and are likely to incur significant costs in preparing our infrastructure and maintaining it to resist any such attacks. ***An increase in volume on our systems or other events could cause them to malfunction.*** Most of our trade orders are received and processed electronically. This method of trading is heavily dependent on the integrity of the electronic systems supporting it. While we have never experienced a significant failure of our trading systems, heavy stress placed on our systems during peak trading times could cause our systems to operate at unacceptably low speeds or fail altogether. Any significant degradation or failure of our systems or the systems of third parties involved in the trading process (e.g., online and internet service providers, record keeping and data processing functions performed by third parties, and third party software), even for a short time, could cause customers to suffer delays in trading. These delays could cause substantial losses for customers and could subject us to claims from these customers for losses. There can be no assurance that our network structure will operate appropriately in the event of a subsystem, component or software failure. In addition, we cannot assure that we will be able to prevent an extended systems failure in the event of a power or telecommunications failure, an earthquake, terrorist attack, fire or any act of God. Any systems failure that causes interruptions in our operations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results. ***Rapid market or technological changes may render our technology obsolete or decrease the attractiveness of our products and services to our clients.*** We must continue to enhance and improve our technology and electronic services and expect to increase investments in our own technology. The electronic financial services industry is characterized by significant structural changes, increasingly complex systems and infrastructures, changes in clients’ needs and preferences, and new business models. If new industry standards and practices emerge and our competitors release new technology before us, our existing technology, systems and electronic trading services may become obsolete, or our existing business may be harmed. Our future success will depend on our ability to: - Enhance our existing products and services; - Develop and/or license new products and technologies that address the increasingly sophisticated and varied needs of our clients and prospective clients; - Continue to attract highly-skilled technology personnel; and - Respond to technological advances and emerging industry standards and practices on a cost-effective and timely basis. Developing our electronic services, our implementation and utilization of our robo-advisor and other technology entails significant technical and business risks. We may use new technologies ineffectively or we may fail to adapt our electronic trading platform, information databases and network infrastructure to client requirements or emerging industry standards. If we face material delays in introducing new services, products and enhancements, our clients may forgo the use of our products and use those of our competitors. Further, the adoption of new internet, networking or telecommunications technologies may require us to devote substantial resources to modify and adapt our services. We cannot assure that we will be able to successfully implement new technologies or adapt our proprietary technology and transaction-processing systems to client requirements or emerging industry standards. We cannot assure that we will be able to respond in a timely manner to changing market conditions or client requirements. ### Risks Related to Our Business Operations ***We previously identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and if we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control in the future, this could result in loss of investor confidence and adversely impact our stock price.*** We reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, a material weakness because we did not design and maintain effective controls over certain information technology (“IT”) or general computer controls for information systems that are relevant to the preparation of the consolidated financial statements. Specifically, we did not design and maintain user access controls to ensure appropriate segregation of duties and adequate restricted user and privileged access to financial applications, data and programs to the appropriate personnel. During 2024, we also identified material weaknesses relating to (1) our failure to design adequate internal controls surrounding security market values within our back-office stock record system, including the accuracy and completeness of pricing of firm and customers’ fully paid and excess margin securities, and (2) our internal controls surrounding the quarterly securities count lacking sufficient documented review and precision of review to demonstrate the completeness and accuracy of the count performed in accordance with Rule 17a-13 of the Exchange Act. As of December 31, 2024, we completed the remediation measures related to the material weaknesses and concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2024. Completion of remediation does not provide assurance that our remediation or other controls will continue to operate properly. If we are unable to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures, our ability to record, process and report financial information accurately, and to prepare financial statements within required time periods could be adversely affected, which could subject us to litigation or investigations requiring management resources and payment of legal and other expenses, negatively affect investor confidence in our financial statements and adversely impact our stock price. ***Potential strategic acquisitions and other business growth could increase costs and regulatory and integration risks.*** Acquisitions involve risks that could adversely affect our business. We may pursue acquisitions of businesses and technologies. Acquisitions and other transactions entail numerous risks, including: - Difficulties in the integration of acquired operations, services and products; - Failure to achieve expected synergies; - Diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns; - Assumption of unknown material liabilities of acquired companies; - Amortization of acquired intangible assets, which could reduce future reported earnings; - Potential loss of clients or key employees of acquired companies; and - Dilution to existing stockholders. As part of our growth strategy, we regularly consider and from time to time engage in discussions and negotiations regarding transactions such as acquisitions, mergers, combinations and partnerships within our industry. The purchase price for possible acquisitions could be paid in cash, through the issuance of our common stock or other securities, borrowings or a combination of these methods. Our transactions are typically subject to closing conditions including regulatory approvals and the absence of material adverse changes in the business, operations or financial condition of the entity or part of an entity being acquired or sold. To the extent we enter into an agreement to buy or sell an entity or part of an entity, there can be no guarantee that the transaction will close when expected or at all. If a material transaction does not close our stock price could decline. We cannot be certain that we will be able to identify, consummate and successfully integrate acquisitions, and no assurance can be given with respect to the timing, likelihood or business effect of any possible transaction. For example, we could begin negotiations that we subsequently decide to suspend or terminate for a variety of reasons. However, opportunities may arise that we will evaluate and any transactions that we consummate would involve risks and uncertainties to us. These risks could cause the failure of any anticipated benefits of an acquisition to be realized, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. ### We depend on our ability to attract and retain key personnel. We are dependent upon our key personnel for our success and the loss of the services of any of these individuals could significantly harm our business, financial condition and operating results. ***We do not own the Muriel Siebert and Siebert names, but we may use them as part of our corporate name pursuant to a license agreement. Use of the names by other parties or the expiration or termination of our license agreement may harm our business.*** We have entered into a license agreement with the Muriel Siebert Estate / Foundation under which we have a license to use the “Muriel Siebert” and “Siebert” name until 2026. In the event that the license agreement is terminated, or if the license agreement is not renewed or extended beyond 2026, we may be required to change our name and cease using the name. Any of these events could disrupt our recognition in the marketplace and otherwise harm our business. ### Our customers may fail to pay us. A principal credit risk to which we are exposed on a regular basis is that our customers may fail to pay for their purchases or fail to maintain the minimum required collateral for amounts borrowed against securities positions maintained by them. We cannot assure that our practices and/or the policies and procedures we have established will be adequate to prevent a significant credit loss. ### Our advisory services subject us to additional risks. We provide investment advisory services to investors. Through our RIA, SNXT, we offer robo-advisory and investment services. The risks associated with these investment advisory activities include those arising from possible conflicts of interest, unsuitable investment recommendations, inadequate due diligence, inadequate disclosure and fraud. Realization of these risks could lead to liability for client losses, regulatory fines, civil penalties and harm to our reputation and business. ### Certain employees, directors and affiliates of RISE and Siebert own equity in RISE Financial Services, LLC During the first quarter of 2022, RISE issued, and Siebert sold membership interests in RISE to certain employees, directors, and affiliates of RISE and Siebert ranging from 1% to 2% individually. This amount represented, as of the date of this Report, an aggregate of 7% of the total issued and outstanding membership interests in RISE. As of the date of this Report, Gloria E. Gebbia owns approximately 24% of RISE. As a result, the interests of the employees, directors, and affiliates of RISE and Siebert who own equity in RISE may differ from the interests of shareholders of Siebert. ### Risks Related to Our Common Stock ### There may be a limited public market for our common stock; Volatility. 13,908,556 shares of our common stock, or approximately 34.4% of our shares of our common stock outstanding, are currently held by non-affiliates as of March 5, 2025. A stock with a small number of shares held by non-affiliates, known as the “float,” will generally be more volatile than a stock with a large float. Although our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market, there can be no assurance that an active public market will continue. ### Our principal shareholder has significant influence over us. Gloria E. Gebbia, who is a director of Siebert, the managing member of Kennedy Cabot Acquisition, LLC (“KCA”) and the spouse of Siebert’s Chief Executive Officer, has, along with other family members, the power to nominate six directors to the Board of Directors and owns approximately 42% of our common stock as of December 31, 2024. As a result, they have significant influence on matters submitted to a vote of shareholders. ***Future sales of our common stock in the public market could cause the market price of our common stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.*** Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market by new issuances or through sales by existing shareholders, or the perception in the market that we or the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of our common stock and make it more difficult for investors to sell common stock at a time and price that investors deem appropriate. On April 27, 2023, Siebert entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “First Tranche Stock Purchase Agreement”) with Kakaopay Corporation (“Kakaopay”), a company established under the Laws of the Republic of Korea, pursuant to which Siebert issued to Kakaopay 8,075,607 shares of Siebert’s common stock, which represented at the time of issuance 19.9% of the outstanding equity securities of Siebert on a fully diluted basis. The First Tranche closed on May 18, 2023 and, in connection therewith, we entered into a Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement, dated as of May 19, 2023 (the “Registration Rights Agreement”), with Kakaopay. In accordance with the Registration Rights Agreement and the Settlement Agreement (as defined below), we filed a registration statement with the SEC registering these shares for resale. The number of shares of common stock could be significant in relation to our currently outstanding common stock and the historical trading volume of our common stock. The sale by Kakaopay of all or a significant portion of the shares of common stock could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. In addition, the perception in the public markets that Kakaopay might sell all or a portion of the shares of common stock could also, in and of itself, have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. ***The price of our common stock in the public markets has experienced, and may in the future experience, extreme volatility due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control.*** Since our common stock started trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, our common stock has been relatively thinly traded and at times been subject to price volatility. The average daily trading volume from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 was approximately 24,327 shares. We believe that the trading price of our common stock has at times been influenced by trading factors other than industry or Company-specific fundamentals, including, without limitation, the sentiment of retail investors (including as may be expressed on financial trading and other social media sites), speculation in the press, in the investment community, or on the internet, including on online forums and social media, about Siebert, our industry or our security’s access to margin debt, trading in options and other derivatives on our common stock, and the amount and status of short interest in our securities (including a “short squeeze”). A “short squeeze” is a technical market condition that occurs when the price of a stock increases substantially, forcing market participants who had taken a position that its price would fall (i.e., who had sold the stock “short”), to buy it, which in turn may create significant, short-term demand for the stock not for fundamental reasons, but rather due to the need for such market participants to acquire the stock in order to forestall the risk of even greater losses. A “short squeeze” condition in the market for a stock can lead to short-term conditions involving very high volatility and trading that may or may not track fundamental valuation models. As a result of the foregoing, investors in our common stock may be subject to the risk of significant, short-term price volatility of our common stock and the trading price of our common stock could decline for reasons unrelated to our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Further, in the past, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a particular company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against these companies. If any of the foregoing occurs, it could cause our stock price to fall and may expose us to lawsuits that, even if unsuccessful, could be costly to defend and a distraction to management. ***Our future ability to pay dividends to holders of our common stock is subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors and will be limited by our ability to generate sufficient earnings and cash flows.*** We did not pay any dividends in 2024 or 2023. Payment of future cash dividends on our common stock will depend on our ability to generate earnings and cash flows. However, sufficient cash may not be available to pay such dividends. Payment of future dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon a number of factors that the Board of Directors deems relevant, including future earnings, the success of our business activities, capital requirements, the general financial condition and future prospects of our business and general business conditions. If we are unable to generate sufficient earnings and cash flows from our business, we may not be able to pay dividends on our common stock. Our ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock is also dependent on the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or capital distributions to Siebert. MSCO and RISE are subject to various regulatory requirements relating to liquidity, capital standards and the use of client funds and securities, which may limit funds available for payments to Siebert. The ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or capital distributions to Siebert may also be subject to regulatory approval. ### Risks Related to Our Industry and Market ***Securities market volatility and other securities industry risk could adversely affect our business.*** Most of our revenues are derived from our securities brokerage business. Like other businesses operating in the securities industry, our business is directly affected by volatile trading markets, fluctuations in the volume of market activity, economic and political conditions, upward and downward trends in business and finance at large, legislation and regulation affecting the national and international business and financial communities, currency values, inflation, market conditions, the availability and cost of short-term or long-term funding and capital, the credit capacity or perceived credit-worthiness of the securities industry in the marketplace and the level and volatility of interest rates. We also face risks relating to losses resulting from the ownership of securities, counterparty failure to meet commitments, customer fraud, employee fraud, issuer fraud, errors and misconduct, failures in connection with the processing of securities transactions and litigation. A reduction in our revenues or a loss resulting from our ownership of securities or sales or trading of securities could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, as a result of these risks, our revenues and operating results may be subject to significant fluctuations from quarter to quarter and from year to year. ### Interest rate changes could affect our profitability. The direction and level of interest rates are important factors in our earnings. Our earnings are affected by the difference between the interest rates earned on interest-earning assets such as loans and investment securities and interest rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities such as deposits and borrowings. Decreases in interest rates negatively impact our revenue by reducing the margin and other interest income, as well as distribution fees received from money market securities. Lower rates can compress net interest margins, impacting the profitability of our interest-earning assets and affecting overall revenue. As the U.S. economy navigates a period of stabilization, inflation remains elevated, and the Federal Reserve may raise, maintain or lower rates in the future in response to evolving economic conditions. While we believe the current interest rate environment may present challenges, a decrease in rates could reduce our interest revenue if yields on interest-earning assets decline without a corresponding decrease in our funding costs, compress net interest margins if competitive pressures prevent us from lowering deposit rates, and impact market conditions by reducing trading volumes, spreads, and demand for certain brokerage products. ***A prolonged economic slowdown, volatility in the markets, a recession, and uncertainty in the markets could impair our business and harm our operating results.*** Our businesses are, and will continue to be, susceptible to economic slowdowns, recessions and volatility in the markets, which may lead to financial losses for our customers, and a decrease in revenues and operating results. In addition, global macroeconomic conditions and U.S. financial markets remain vulnerable to the potential risks posed by exogenous shocks, which could include, among other things, political and financial uncertainty in the U.S. and the European Union, renewed concern about China’s economy, geopolitical conflicts, complications involving terrorism and armed conflicts around the world, or other challenges to global trade or travel. More generally, because our business is closely correlated to the macroeconomic outlook, a significant deterioration in that outlook or an exogenous shock would likely have an immediate negative impact on our overall results of operations. ### There is intense competition in the brokerage industry. We encounter significant competition from full-commission, no commission, online and other discount brokerage firms, as well as from financial institutions, mutual fund sponsors, venture-backed technology and cryptocurrency firms, and other organizations. Over the past several years, price wars and lower or no commission rates in the discount brokerage business in general have strengthened our competitors. In addition, while the decline of commissions has been ongoing for decades, some of our competitors charging zero commissions on trades could potentially have an adverse effect on our commission revenue. The securities brokerage industry has experienced significant consolidation, which may continue in the future, likely increasing competitive pressures in the industry. Consolidation could enable other firms to offer a broader range of products and services than we do, or offer them on better terms, such as higher interest rates paid on cash held in client accounts. We believe that such changes in the industry will continue to strengthen existing competitors and attract additional competitors such as banks, insurance companies, providers of online financial and information services, and others. Many of these competitors are larger, more diversified, have greater capital resources, and offer a wider range of services and financial products than we do. We compete with a wide variety of vendors of financial services for the same customers. Many of these competitors conduct extensive marketing campaigns and may have or achieve exceptional market name recognition. We may not be able to compete effectively with current or future competitors with stronger capital positions, greater name recognition or who partner or combine with other larger firms. Some competitors in the discount brokerage business offer services which we may not offer. In addition, some competitors have continued to offer flat rate execution fees that are lower than some of our published rates. Industry-wide changes in trading practices are expected to cause continuing pressure on fees earned by discount brokers for the sale of order flow. Continued or increased competition from ultra-low costs, flat-fee brokers and broader service offerings from other discount brokers could limit our growth or lead to a decline in our customer base which would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Further, if we are not able to update or adapt our products and services to take advantage of the latest technologies and standards, or are otherwise unable to offer services to mobile and desktop computing platforms to a growing self-directed investor market, it could have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete. ### Lower price levels in the securities markets may reduce our profitability. Lower price levels of securities may result in (i) reduced volumes of securities, options and futures transactions, with a consequent reduction in our commission revenues, and (ii) losses from declines in the market value of securities we hold in investment. In periods of low volume, our levels of profitability are further adversely affected because certain of our expenses remain relatively fixed. Sudden sharp declines in market values of securities and the failure of issuers and counterparties to perform their obligations can result in illiquid markets which, in turn, may result in us having difficulty selling securities. Such negative market conditions, if prolonged, may lower our revenues. A reduction in our revenues could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. ### The soundness of other financial institutions and intermediaries affects us. We face the risk of operational failure, termination or capacity constraints of any of the clearing agents, exchanges, clearing houses or other financial intermediaries that we use to facilitate our securities transactions. As a result of the consolidation over the years of clearing agents, exchanges and clearing houses, our exposure to certain financial intermediaries has increased and could affect our ability to find adequate and cost-effective alternatives should the need arise. Any failure, termination or constraint of these intermediaries could adversely affect our ability to execute transactions, service our clients and manage our exposure to risk. Our ability to engage in routine trading and funding transactions could be adversely affected by the actions and commercial soundness of other financial institutions. Financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, funding, and counterparties or other relationships. We have exposure to many different industries and counterparties, and we routinely execute transactions with counterparties in the financial industry, including brokers and dealers, commercial banks, investment banks, mortgage originators and other institutional clients. As a result, defaults by, or even rumors or questions about the financial condition of, one or more financial services institutions, or the financial services industry generally, have historically led to market-wide liquidity problems and could lead to losses or defaults by us or by other institutions. Many of these transactions expose us to credit risk in the event of default of our counterparty or client. In addition, our credit risk may be exacerbated when the collateral held by us cannot be realized or is liquidated at prices insufficient to recover the full amount of the loan or derivative exposure due us. Although we have not suffered any material or significant losses as a result of the failure of any financial counterparty, any such losses in the future may materially adversely affect our results of operations. ## Cybersecurity As filed, 6,895 characters. Cybersecurity presents significant challenges to the business community in general, as well as to the financial services industry. Increasingly, bad actors, both domestically and internationally, attempt to steal personal data and/or interrupt the normal functioning of businesses through accessing individuals’ and companies’ files and equipment connected to the internet. Recently, intruders have become increasingly sophisticated and use deceptive methods to steal funds and personally identifiable information which they either take for their own purposes, release to the internet, or hold for ransom. Regulators are increasingly requiring companies to provide more advanced levels of cybersecurity measures. Our cybersecurity program aims to identify, manage, and mitigate cybersecurity risks – both internal and client-facing. We continue to maintain systems and ongoing planning measures to minimize the disruption of our services to clients as well as to prevent the loss of data concerning our clients, their financial affairs, and company-privileged information from cybersecurity incidents. ### Cybersecurity Risk Management & Strategy We utilize the widely recognized National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) Cybersecurity Framework (“CSF”) as the foundation of our cybersecurity program, with strategic direction aligned to the following core functions: - Identify: We continuously assess our systems, data, and vulnerabilities to understand our cybersecurity risk profile. We enlist third-party cybersecurity consultants and vendors to support our cybersecurity efforts, tapping into their specialized knowledge and insights to assess and test the effectiveness of our cybersecurity program and to inform decision-making on detection and the deployment of defense measures, commensurate with our risk profile. As part of our Vendor Risk Management program, we periodically examine our third-party providers’ and vendors’ risks by reviewing the content and enforcement of their cybersecurity standards, policies, and procedures. We also employ real-time monitoring to detect suspicious activity in order to minimize risks associated with data breaches or other security incidents that may arise from third-party sources or insider threats. - Protect: We implement technical safeguards, including access controls, data encryption, network security, endpoint protection, and regular vulnerability patching. Our employee training and awareness programs are designed to improve cybersecurity awareness throughout the organization, and we are committed to educating our employees on security best practices in an industry-relevant context, relating to topics such as anti-money laundering, social engineering, and fraud prevention. - Detect: We employ automated monitoring tools and operational procedures for timely detection of anomalies, cybersecurity events, and potential cybersecurity incidents. - Respond: We have a Security Incident Response Plan, which is supported by operational procedures, to help guide response teams to prioritize and execute containment, investigation, eradication, and communication for confirmed cybersecurity incidents or breaches. - Recover: Our Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Plan is in place to enable response to significant business disruptions and timely restoration of systems, data, and business operations following confirmed cybersecurity incidents or disaster scenarios. We also incorporate industry-relevant context and emphasize security considerations beyond the core NIST CSF functions: - Regulatory Compliance: We integrate cybersecurity controls that address requirements of FINRA, SEC, and other relevant regulatory bodies. - Financial Transaction Security: We employ specific fraud detection and prevention measures to protect client funds and trading operations. - Market Integrity: We strive to safeguard systems and data that contribute to fair and efficient markets. This does not mean that we meet any particular technical standards, specifications, or requirements, but only that we use the NIST CSF as a guide to help us identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks relevant to our business. Our cybersecurity program is integrated into our overall risk management process by providing periodic updates to certain members of the management team which in turn regularly provide updates to our Board of Directors. As of the filing of this Report, we are not aware of any cybersecurity incidents that occurred during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including with respect to our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition. We acknowledge that we cannot eliminate all cybersecurity risks within our organization, and we cannot guarantee that any undetected cybersecurity incidents have occurred. For additional information about these risks, see Part I, Item 1A, - Risk Factors of this Report. ### Cybersecurity Governance The management and assessment of cybersecurity risks and related risk management processes are handled primarily by our Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”), whose experience includes approximately 25 years of cybersecurity experience leading and building cybersecurity programs for global Fortune 500 companies. Our CISO’s extensive cybersecurity background is supplemented with industry-leading certifications and credentials such as Cisco’s CCIE Security, Palo Alto Networks (PNCSE, PCDRA, PSE), Juniper Networks (JNCIS), and Checkpoint (CCSE) specializations on Endpoint Detection and Security Architecture. Our Chief Technology Officer (“CTO”), whose experience includes approximately 25 years of managing technology strategy and programs at public financial services organizations. The CTO also has key responsibilities and provides input into the management of our cybersecurity risks from a technology perspective. In order to monitor the prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity incidents, our CISO, CTO, and respective technology and operations teams monitor the cybersecurity threat landscape, plan and implement security controls, and detect and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents using a combination of security tooling, automated systems, and manual processes. Our Board of Directors, through its Audit Committee, oversees the cybersecurity risk management program. The Board of Directors and the Audit Committee are informed about risks from cybersecurity threats through periodic updates and reports provided by management. The periodic updates include briefing materials on our security posture, emerging cybersecurity threats and risks, cybersecurity incident response planning, significant cybersecurity incidents and breaches, and cybersecurity-related matters involving third parties or vendors. ## Properties As filed, 805 characters. We currently maintain our headquarters and 10 branch offices that customers can visit to obtain market information, place orders, open accounts, deliver and receive checks and securities, and obtain related customer services in person. Nevertheless, most of our activities are conducted on the internet or by telephone and mail. We operate our business out of the following offices: | Corporate Headquarters | Approximate Square Feet | | --- | ---: | | Miami Beach, FL – 653 Collins Avenue | 12,000 | | Branch Offices | | | Beverly Hills, CA – 190 N Canon | 900 | | Beverly Hills, CA – 9378 Wilshire | 3,500 | | Boca Raton, FL | 1,600 | | Boston, MA | 1,700 | | Calabasas, CA | 3,200 | | Horsham, PA | 2,000 | | Omaha, NE | 2,900 | | Seal Beach, CA | 800 | | Tampa, FL | 1,000 | | New York, NY | 8,000 | ## Legal proceedings As filed, 1,106 characters. In the normal course of business, we may be subject to various proceedings and claims arising from our business activities, including lawsuits, arbitration claims and regulatory matters. We are also involved in other reviews, investigations and proceedings by governmental and self-regulatory organizations regarding the business, which may result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions and other relief. In many cases, however, it is inherently difficult to determine whether any loss is probable or reasonably possible or to estimate the amount or range of any potential loss, particularly where proceedings may be in relatively early stages. In our opinion, based on currently available information, the ultimate resolution of current matters will not have a material adverse impact on our financial position and results of operations. However, resolution of one or more of these matters may have a material effect on the results of operations in any future period, depending upon the ultimate resolution of those matters and depending upon the level of income for such period. ## Management's discussion and analysis As filed, 32,277 characters. The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in Part II, Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this Report. In addition to our historical consolidated financial information, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates, and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include those discussed below and elsewhere in this Report, particularly in Part I, Item 1A - Risk Factors. ### Overview We are a financial services company and provide a wide variety of financial services to our clients. We operate in business lines such as retail brokerage, investment advisory, insurance, and technology development through our wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries. Results in the businesses in which we operate are highly correlated to general economic conditions and, more specifically, to the direction of the U.S. equity and fixed-income markets. Market volatility, overall market conditions, interest rates, economic, political, and regulatory trends, and industry competition are among the factors which could affect us, and which are unpredictable and beyond our control. These factors affect the financial decisions made by market participants who include investors and competitors, impacting their level of participation in the financial markets. In addition, in periods of reduced financial market activity, profitability is likely to be adversely affected because certain expenses remain relatively fixed, including salaries and related costs, as well as portions of communications costs and occupancy expenses. Accordingly, earnings for any period should not be considered representative of earnings to be expected for any other period. ### Financial Overview In 2024, earnings per share were $0.33, compared to earnings per share of $0.21 in 2023. In 2024, our net revenues were $83.9 million and net income was $13.3 million, compared to net revenues of $71.5 million and net income of $7.8 million in 2023. Financial highlights as of December 31, 2024: - Retail customer net worth increased by 13% to $18.0 billion compared to 2023 - Revenue related to stock borrow / stock loan increased by 19% to 19.2 million compared to 2023 - Revenue related to commissions and fees increased by 32% to $9.6 million compared to 2023 ### Trends and Key Factors Affecting our Operations ### Market Risk Market risk is our risk of loss resulting from the impact of changes in market prices on our trading inventory and investment positions. We have exposure to market risk primarily through our broker-dealer trading operations. Through our broker-dealer subsidiary, we trade debt obligations and equity securities and maintain trading inventories to ensure availability of securities to facilitate client transactions. Inventory levels may fluctuate daily as a result of client demand. Our primary market risks relate to interest rates and equity prices. Equity risk results from changes in prices of equity securities, affecting the value of the equity securities and other instruments that derive their value from a particular stock. We may enter into underwriting commitments and, as a result, we may be subject to market risk on any unsold securities issued in the offerings to which we are committed. Risk exposure is controlled by limiting our participation, the transaction size, or through the syndication process. ### Interest Rates We are exposed to market risk from changes in interest rates. Such changes in interest rates primarily impact revenue from interest, marketing, and distribution fees. We primarily earn interest, marketing and distribution fees from margin interest charged on clients’ margin balances, interest on cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes, and distribution fees from money market mutual funds in clients’ accounts. Securities segregated for regulatory purposes consist solely of U.S. government securities. If prices of U.S. government securities within our portfolio decline, we anticipate the impact to be temporary as we intend to hold these securities to maturity. We seek to mitigate this risk by managing the average maturities of our U.S. government securities portfolio and setting risk parameters for securities owned, at fair value. The following table presents simulated changes to net interest revenue over the next 12 months beginning December 31, 2024 and 2023 of a gradual increase or decrease in market interest rates relative to prevailing market rates at the end of each reporting period: | | As of December 31, 2024 | 2023 | | --- | ---: | ---: | | Increase of 200 basis points | 32% | 36% | | Increase of 100 basis points | 18% | 20% | | Increase of 50 basis points | 11% | 5% | | Decrease of 50 basis points | (4)% | (3)% | | Decrease of 100 basis points | (11)% | (10)% | | Decrease of 200 basis points | (26)% | (25)% | The difference in our simulated incremental increases and decreases in the market interest rates as of December 31, 2024 compared to 2023 is primarily due to an increase in the proportion of segregated cash to segregated securities and a decrease in the proportion of margin debit balances to cash credit balances. ### Technology Initiatives At the end of 2023, we hired new technology personnel, changed our primary software development vendor, and made investments in technology development. Some of these technology investments include the development of a Siebert mobile trading application, online platform for our retail customer base and corporate services clients, as well as upgrades to our technological and operational infrastructure to support these platforms and future growth. We believe that these ongoing investments in technology will be key to meeting the needs of our retail customers, correspondent clearing, corporate services as well as expand into new markets and demographics. ### Client Account and Activity Metrics The following tables set forth metrics we use in analyzing our client account and activity trends for the periods indicated. ### Client Account Metrics – Retail Customers | | As of December 31, 2024 | 2023 | | --- | ---: | ---: | | Retail customer net worth (in billions) | $18.0 | $15.9 | | Retail customer margin debit balances (in billions) | $0.4 | $0.3 | | Retail customer credit balances (in billions) | $0.4 | $0.5 | | Retail customer money market fund value (in billions) | $0.8 | $0.7 | | Retail customer accounts | 160,054 | 153,727 | - Retail customer net worth represents the total value of securities and cash in the retail customer accounts after deducting margin debits - Retail customer margin debit balances represent credit extended to our customers to finance their purchases against current positions - Retail customer credit balances represent client cash held in brokerage accounts - Retail customer money market fund value represents all retail customers accounts invested in money market funds - Retail customer accounts represent the number of retail customers ### Consolidated Statements of Operations and Financial Condition ### Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 #### Revenue Commissions and fees for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $9,615,000 and increased by $2,339,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to strong market conditions. Interest, marketing and distribution fees for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $32,407,000 and increased by $2,830,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year primarily due to an increase in interest income received on U.S. government securities and bank deposits. Principal transactions and proprietary trading for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $14,616,000 and increased by $1,522,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to the factors discussed below. The increase in realized and unrealized gain on primarily riskless principal transactions was primarily due to market conditions. The decrease in unrealized gain on our portfolio of U.S. government securities was due to the maturity of certain U.S. government securities and a decrease in investment in U.S. government securities based on market yields and cash needs. Below is a summary of the change in the principal transactions and proprietary trading line item for the periods presented. | Principal transactions and proprietary trading | Year Ended December 31, 2024 | 2023 | Year over Year Increase | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | | Realized and unrealized gain on primarily riskless principal transactions | $14,251,000 | $9,275,000 | $4,976,000 | | Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on portfolio of U.S. government securities | 365,000 | 3,819,000 | (3,454,000) | | Total Principal transactions and proprietary trading | $14,616,000 | $13,094,000 | $1,522,000 | Market making for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $2,255,000 and increased by $951,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to strong equity markets. Stock borrow / stock loan for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $19,249,000 and increased by $3,077,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to a growth in stock locate services. Advisory fees for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $2,369,000 and increased by $441,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to growth in platform assets. Other income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $3,390,000 and increased by $1,227,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to fees related to an increase in maintenance fees during the current year. #### Operating Expenses Employee compensation and benefits for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $43,999,000 and increased by $12,063,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to an increase in commission payouts and executive compensation. Clearing fees, including execution costs for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $1,607,000 and decreased by $65,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year. Technology and communications expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $3,940,000 and increased by $576,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to an expansion of technological infrastructure. Other general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $4,488,000 and increased by $78,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year. Data processing expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $3,200,000 and decreased by $36,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year. Rent and occupancy expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $1,631,000 and decreased by $242,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to a discontinued rent expense related to the temporary Miami office. Professional fees for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $5,578,000 and increased by $1,119,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to an increase in legal and accounting fees offset by a decrease in consulting services. Depreciation and amortization expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $1,380,000 and decreased by $640,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to the write off of development related to integration of a technology platform that occurred in the prior year. Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $262,000 and decreased by $1,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year. Advertising and promotion expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 were $348,000 and increased by $193,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to an increase in marketing initiatives in 2024. #### Non-Operating Income (Loss) The earnings of equity method investment in related party for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $0 and decreased by $111,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to the exit of our investment in Tigress in the third quarter of 2023. The impairment of investments for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $0 and decrease by $1,035,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to the impairment of our investment in a technology provider of a trading platform and the impairment of our investment in Tigress occurring in 2023. Transaction termination costs for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $0 and decreased by $5,943,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year due to costs associated with the termination of the Kakaopay transaction in 2023. #### Provision For (Benefit From) Income Taxes The provision for income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $4,165,000 and increased by $750,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year. The change from the corresponding period in the prior year is primarily due to increased profitability year over year. Refer to Note 17 – Income Taxes for additional detail. #### Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests As further discussed in Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, we consolidate RISE’s financial results into our consolidated financial statements and reflect the portion of RISE not held by Siebert as a noncontrolling interests in our consolidated financial statements. The net income attributable to noncontrolling interests for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $17,000, and decreased by $1,000 from the corresponding period in the prior year. ### Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 #### Assets Assets as of December 31, 2024 were $519,668,000 and decreased by $282,132,000 from December 31, 2023, primarily due to a decrease in securities borrowed and cash and securities segregated, partially offset by an increase in cash and cash equivalents. #### Liabilities Liabilities as of December 31, 2024 were $434,576,000 and decreased by $296,515,000 from December 31, 2023, primarily due to a decrease in securities loaned and payables to customers. ### Liquidity and Capital Resources ### Overview As of December 31, 2024, a significant portion of our assets were liquid in nature, providing us with flexibility in financing our business. A significant portion of our assets not held by customers or used for stock borrow / stock loan consisted primarily of cash and cash equivalents, securities owned, at fair value, which are marked-to-market daily, and receivables from and deposits with broker-dealers and clearing organizations. We expect to use our available cash, cash equivalents, and potential future borrowings under our debt agreements and potential issuance of new debt or equity, to support and invest in our core business, including investing in new ways to serve our customers, potentially seeking strategic acquisitions to leverage existing capabilities, and for general capital needs (including capital, deposit, and collateral requirements imposed by regulators and SROs). Based on our current level of operations, we believe our available cash, available lines of credit, overall access to capital markets, and cash provided by operations will be adequate to meet our current liquidity needs for the foreseeable future. As of the date of this Report, other than the items detailed in the section below, there are no known or material events that would require us to use large amounts of our liquid assets to cover expenses. ### Kakaopay The net capital infusion from Kakaopay to Siebert from the First Tranche was approximately $14.8 million after the issuance cost. This capital is currently being used to enhance our regulatory capital and is primarily invested in U.S. government securities and is in the line item “Securities owned, at fair value” in the consolidated statements of financial condition. Refer to Note 6 – Kakaopay Transaction for further detail. ### Cash and Cash Equivalents Our cash and cash equivalents were $32.6 million and $5.7 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. ### Credit Agreement On August 15, 2024, we entered into the Credit Agreement with East West Bank providing a $20 million revolving credit facility, which offers substantial financial flexibility to support our strategic initiatives. This credit facility allows the Company to fund acquisitions, execute stock buybacks, and meet general corporate needs up to $10 million, ensuring access to capital for both growth and operational purposes. The two-year term of the Credit Agreement, combined with a competitive interest rate structure that is tied to either the one-month Term SOFR plus 3.15% or a minimum of 7.50%, provides a stable and predictable financing source. The personal guarantees provided by key executives, John J. Gebbia and Gloria E. Gebbia, and their trust, further strengthen the Company’s borrowing position and help secure favorable terms. ### BMO Credit Agreement On November 22, 2024, MSCO entered into a Credit Agreement (the “BMO Credit Agreement”) with BMO Harris Bank (“BMO Harris”). The BMO Credit Agreement provides for a revolving credit facility of up to $20,000,000. We may use any borrowings under the BMO Credit Agreement to finance NSCC Deposit Requirements (other than an Adequate Assurance Deposit) and withdrawals from a Reserve Account. As part of the agreement, we entered into a Parent Guaranty agreement guaranteeing repayment of any debt issued to MSCO. Borrowings under the BMO Credit Agreement will bear interest on the outstanding daily balance at a rate of interest per annum equal 2.5% plus the greater of: (a) Term SOFR for such day plus 0.11448% and (b) Federal Funds Target Range – Upper Limit and (c) 0.25%. The annual commitment fee is equal to one half of one percent (0.50%) of the average daily unused portion of the commitment of $20,000,000. The BMO Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative covenants and negative covenants and requires MSCO maintain minimum total regulatory capital of $45,000,000, excess net capital of 20,000,000, assets to total regulatory capital ratio of not more than 5.0 to 1.0, and a minimum liquidity ratio of not less than 1.0. We satisfied its condition precedent to deliver a legal option to BMO Harris on December 18, 2024. ### Debt Agreements We have $4.2 million outstanding on our mortgage with East West Bank and an unutilized line of credit for short term overnight demand borrowing of up to $25 million with BMO Harris as of December 31, 2024. As of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all covenants related to our debt agreements. ### Cash Requirements The following table summarizes our short and long-term material cash requirements as of December 31, 2024. | | Payments Due by Period 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | Thereafter | Total | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | Operating lease commitments | $1,048,000 | $836,000 | $594,000 | $503,000 | $45,000 | $— | $3,026,000 | | Kakaopay fee (1) | 2,000,000 | 1,000,000 | — | — | — | — | 3,000,000 | | Mortgage with East West Bank (2) | 88,000 | 91,000 | 95,000 | 98,000 | 112,000 | 3,744,000 | 4,228,000 | | Technology vendors (3) | 872,000 | — | — | — | — | — | 872,000 | | Broadridge contract (4) | 407,000 | 170,000 | — | — | — | — | 577,000 | | Total | $4,415,000 | $2,097,000 | $689,000 | $601,000 | $157,000 | $3,744,000 | $11,703,000 | (1) Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement with Kakaopay, we are obligated to pay Kakaopay a fee of $5 million payable in ten quarterly installments that began in the first quarter of 2024. Refer to Note 6 – Kakaopay Transaction for further detail. (2) On December 30, 2021, we purchased the Miami office building and financed part of the purchase price with a mortgage with East West Bank. (3) We have entered into agreements with technology vendors for certain development projects related to our Retail Platform. As of December 31, 2024, we have incurred approximately $3.4 million out of the $4.3 million total budget for these vendors. (4) In June 2023, we entered into an amendment to its service agreement with Broadridge Securities Processing Solutions, LLC with a total minimum expense of approximately $1.2 million for this arrangement. ### Net Capital, Reserve Accounts, Segregation of Funds, and Other Regulatory Requirements MSCO is subject to the Uniform Net Capital Rules of the SEC (Rule 15c3-1) and the Customer Protection Rule (15c3-3) of the Exchange Act and maintains capital and segregated cash reserves in excess of regulatory requirements. Requirements under these regulations may vary; however, MSCO has adequate reserves and contingency funding plans in place to sufficiently meet any regulatory requirements. In addition to net capital requirements, as a self-clearing broker-dealer, MSCO is subject to cash deposit and collateral requirements with clearing houses, such as the DTCC and OCC, which may fluctuate significantly from time to time based upon the nature and size of clients’ trading activity and market volatility. RISE, as a member of FINRA, is subject to the SEC Uniform Net Capital Rule 15c3-1 and the corresponding regulatory capital requirements. MSCO can transfer funds to Siebert as long as it maintains its liquidity and regulatory capital requirements. RISE can transfer funds to its shareholders, of which Siebert is entitled to its proportional ownership interest, as long as RISE maintains its liquidity and regulatory capital requirements. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, MSCO and RISE had sufficient net capital to meet their respective liquidity and regulatory capital requirements. Refer to Note 18 – Capital Requirements for more detail on our capital requirements. ### Cash Flows Cash provided by and used in operating activities consisted of net income (loss) adjusted for certain non-cash items. Net operating assets and liabilities at any specific point in time are subject to many variables, including variability in customer activity, the timing of cash receipts and payments, and vendor payment terms. The total changes in our consolidated statements of cash flows, especially our operating cash flow, are not necessarily indicative of the ongoing results of our business as we have customer assets and liabilities on our consolidated statements of financial condition. For the year ended December 31, 2024, cash used in operating activities increased by $14.9 million compared to 2023, which was primarily driven by the inclusion of cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes, which were previously not presented in the operating section. The increase was further impacted by the outflows related to the Kakao settlement and contract termination payments, as well as a decrease in payables to customers and securities loaned. These outflows were partially offset by inflows from securities borrowed, receivables from customers, and other working capital adjustments. For the year ended December 31, 2024, cash used in investing activities increased by $3.5 million compared to 2023, which was primarily driven by the acquisition of GE as well as certain development projects related to our Retail Platform in 2024. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we had a cash outflow of $0.1 million from financing activities, compared to a net cash inflow of $13.0 million in 2023, which was primarily driven by the issuance of the Company’s common stock related to the transaction with Kakaopay in 2023. Refer to Note 6 – Kakaopay Transaction for additional detail. ### Long Term Contracts Effective August 1, 2021, MSCO entered into an amendment to its clearing agreement with NFS that, among other things, extends the term of their arrangement for an additional four-year period commencing on August 1, 2021 and ending July 31, 2025. As part of this agreement, we received a one-time business development credit of $3 million, and NFS will pay us four annual credits of $100,000 over the term of the agreement. The amendment also provides for an early termination fee; however, as of December 31, 2024, we do not expect to terminate the contract with NFS before the end of the contract term. Refer to Note 16 – Deferred Contract Incentive and Note 21 – Commitments, Contingencies and Other for additional detail. Effective June 2023, MSCO entered into an amendment to its service agreement with Broadridge Securities Processing Solutions, LLC that, among other things, extends the term of their arrangement for a five-year period ending June 2028, with an option to terminate after three years. The total minimum expense for this arrangement is estimated at approximately $1.2 million over the duration of the contract. ### Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements We enter into various transactions to meet the needs of customers, conduct trading activities, and manage market risks and are, therefore, subject to varying degrees of market and credit risk. In the normal course of business, our customer activities involve the execution, settlement, and financing of various customer securities transactions. These activities may expose us to off-balance sheet risk in the event the customer or other broker is unable to fulfill their contracted obligations and we are forced to purchase or sell the financial instrument underlying the contract at a loss. There were no material losses for unsettled customer transactions for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. Refer to Note 19 – Financial Instruments with Off-Balance Sheet Risk for additional detail. ### Uncertain Tax Positions We account for uncertain tax positions in accordance with the authoritative guidance issued under FASB ASC Subtopic 740-10, which addresses the determination of whether tax benefits claimed or expected to be claimed on a tax return should be recorded in the consolidated financial statements. We may recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the consolidated financial statements from such position should be measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. FASB ASC Subtopic 740-10 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods and disclosure requirements We recognize interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits on the provision for income taxes line in the statements of operations. Accrued interest and penalties would be included on the related tax liability line in the statements of financial condition. As of both December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded an uncertain tax position of $1,354,000 and $1,405,000, respectively, related to various tax matters, which is included in the line item “Taxes payable” in the statements of financial condition. ### Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates We generally follow accounting policies standard in the brokerage industry and believe that our policies appropriately reflect our financial position and results of operations. Our management team makes significant estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, and expenses, and the related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities included in the consolidated financial statements. The estimates relate primarily to expense items in the normal course of business as to which we receive no confirmations, invoices, or other documentation, at the time the books are closed for a period. We use our best judgment, based on our knowledge of expenses incurred, to estimate the amount of such expenses. We are not aware of any material differences between the estimates used in closing our books for the periods presented and the actual amounts of expenses incurred when we subsequently receive the actual confirmations, invoices or other documentation. Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires us to make judgments and estimates that may have a significant impact on our financial results. We believe that the critical accounting policies listed below are particularly subject to management’s judgments and estimates and could materially affect our results of operations and financial position. Refer to Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for additional detail on our significant accounting policies. ### Estimates of effective income tax rates, uncertain tax positions, deferred income taxes and related valuation allowances We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the consolidated financial statements. Under this method, we determine deferred tax assets and liabilities on the basis of the differences between the consolidated financial statements and tax bases of assets and liabilities by using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. We recognize deferred tax assets to the extent that we believe that these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations. If we determine that we would be able to realize deferred taxes in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, we would make an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes. We record uncertain tax positions in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740 – “Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures” (“Topic 740”) on the basis of a two-step process in which (1) we determine whether it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be sustained on the basis of the technical merits of the position and (2) for those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold we recognize the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50 percent likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with the related tax authority. We recognize interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits on the provision for income taxes line in the consolidated statements of operations. Accrued interest and penalties would be included on the related tax liability line in the consolidated statements of financial condition. ### Disregarded entities and income tax treatment Starting in 2024, both MSCO and SNXT are single member limited liability companies that will be treated as disregarded entities for tax purposes. As such, both MSCO and SNXT will no longer be subject to direct taxation and will be disregarded by the relevant tax authorities. The guidance in Accounting Standards Update 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes specifies that an entity is not required to allocate income tax provision to a legal entity that is both not subject to tax and disregarded by the taxing authority, but an entity may elect to do so. MSCO and SNXT are not making the available election to allocate income taxes. Accordingly, on a prospective basis, MSCO and SNXT will no longer record current or deferred income taxes. ### Recent Accounting Pronouncements Refer to Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for information regarding new Accounting Standards Updates (“ASU”s) issued by the FASB. ## Market risk As filed, 2,161 characters. ### Financial Instruments Held For Trading Purposes We do not directly engage in derivative transactions, have no interest in any special purpose entity and have no liabilities, contingent or otherwise, for the debt of another entity. ### Financial Instruments Held For Purposes Other Than Trading We generally invest our cash and cash equivalents temporarily in dollar denominated bank account(s). These investments are not subject to material changes in value due to interest rate movements. We invest cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes in dollar denominated bank accounts which are not subject to material changes in value due to interest rate movements. We also invest cash and securities segregated for regulatory purposes and securities owned, at fair value in U.S. government securities which may be subject to material changes in value due to interest rate movements. Securities owned, at fair value invested in U.S. government securities are generally purchased to enhance yields on required regulatory deposits. While the value of the U.S. government securities may be subject to material changes in value, we believe any reduction in value would be temporary since the securities would mature at par value. Customer transactions are cleared through clearing brokers on a fully disclosed basis and are also self-cleared by MSCO. If customers do not fulfill their contractual obligations, any loss incurred in connection with the purchase or sale of securities at prevailing market prices to satisfy customer obligations may be incurred by Siebert. We regularly monitor the activity in customer accounts for compliance with margin requirements. We are exposed to the risk of loss on unsettled customer transactions if customers and other counterparties are unable to fulfill their contractual obligations. There were no material losses for unsettled customer transactions in the last five years. See “Item 7 – Management’s Discussions and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Trends and Key Factors Affecting our Operations” of this Report for our quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk. ## Controls and procedures As filed, 5,954 characters. ### Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures We carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report pursuant to Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of Securities Exchange of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our periodic and current reports that we file with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable and not absolute assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In reaching a reasonable level of assurance, management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. In addition, the design of any system of controls also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions; over time, control may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected. Based on its evaluation, our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this Report, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective. ### Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting Our management, with the participation of our Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) (“COSO Framework”). Based on that assessment, management concluded that, as of December 31, 2024, our internal control over financial reporting was effective. As disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, we identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting related to the fact that we did not design and maintain effective controls over certain IT or general computer controls for information systems that are relevant to the preparation of the consolidated financial statements. Specifically, we did not design and maintain user access controls to ensure appropriate segregation of duties and adequate restricted user and privileged access to financial applications, data and programs to the appropriate personnel. The IT deficiencies did not result in adjustments to the consolidated financial statements. During 2024, management also identified material weaknesses relating to (i) our failure to design adequate internal controls surrounding security market values within our back-office stock record system, including the accuracy and completeness of pricing of firm and customers’ fully paid and excess margin securities, and (ii) our internal controls surrounding the quarterly securities count lacking sufficient documented review and precision of review to demonstrate the completeness and accuracy of the count performed in accordance with Rule 17a-13 of the Exchange Act. ### Remediation Activities During 2024, management designed and implemented the following previously disclosed measures to ensure that the control deficiencies contributing to the material weaknesses were remediated: (i) designing and implementing controls related to provisioning, privileged access, and user access reviews, (ii) developing an enhanced risk assessment process to evaluate logical access, and (iii) improving the existing training program associated with control design and implementation. We also designed and implemented a review of security market values and conducted a detailed review of our quarterly securities count. During the fourth quarter of 2024, we completed our testing of the operating effectiveness of the implemented controls and found them to be effective. As a result, we have concluded the material weaknesses have been remediated as of December 31, 2024. ### Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting Except for the changes in connection with our identifying the material weaknesses identified above and our implementation of the remediation plans described above, there were no other changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the most recently completed fiscal quarter that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. Filed Mar 31, 2025. Source: SEC EDGAR, the filing index for accession 0001013762-25-004385. Last ingested by Listed: Nov 4, 2026, 08:01 ET. No prices; not investment advice.