The SEC requires RIAs to retain all advertisements and marketing materials — including your website. VaultShot automates this with daily captures, SHA-256 integrity hashing, and compliance certificates.
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SEC Rule 204-2 requires RIAs to retain copies of all advertisements, including website content, for 5 years
The SEC Marketing Rule (206(4)-1) expanded what counts as an advertisement to include website content
SEC examination staff routinely review historical website content during audits
Failure to maintain required records can result in enforcement action and reputational damage
Under SEC Rule 204-2(a)(11), investment advisers must keep copies of all advertisements for five years. The 2022 Marketing Rule expanded this to include virtually all client-facing website content. SEC examiners now routinely request website archives during examinations. VaultShot's automated daily captures with hash verification ensure you have a complete, tamper-proof record.
5 years
Required retention period under SEC Rule 204-2
The SEC's 2022 Marketing Rule fundamentally changed what counts as an 'advertisement' for investment advisers — and your website is ground zero. Under the revised Rule 206(4)-1, virtually any communication that offers or promotes advisory services qualifies as an advertisement, including your homepage, service pages, team bios with performance references, and blog posts discussing investment strategies. Rule 204-2(a)(11) then requires you to retain copies of all such advertisements for five years. The math is straightforward: every page on your RIA's website must be archived, timestamped, and preserved in a format that proves it hasn't been altered.
SEC examination staff have become increasingly sophisticated in how they review website compliance. During routine examinations, OCIE (now EXAMS) staff use the Wayback Machine, cached search results, and their own monitoring tools to compare what your website says today against what it said during the examination period. If there are discrepancies — a testimonial that was added without required disclosures, or a performance claim that was quietly removed — and you can't produce your own verified archive, the examination becomes an enforcement referral. VaultShot gives you the definitive record: daily captures with SHA-256 integrity hashing that proves the content is genuine, not recreated after the fact.
The intersection of Rule 204-2 and the Marketing Rule creates a trap that catches even well-intentioned advisers. Your compliance team approves a website page, but a marketing intern updates the copy three weeks later without going through review. Under the old rules, this might have been a minor procedural issue. Under the current framework, it's an unreviewed advertisement that wasn't properly archived — two separate violations. VaultShot acts as your automated safety net, capturing every version of every page regardless of who changed it or whether compliance reviewed it first. The archive exists whether your internal processes work perfectly or not.
Every feature is designed to produce evidence that regulators accept.
Every screenshot is cryptographically hashed at capture time. Any modification — even a single pixel — produces a different hash, proving the file is original.
Screenshots are stored on AWS S3 with WORM-grade immutability. Files cannot be deleted or overwritten — meeting FINRA 17a-4 and SEC requirements.
Set it and forget it. VaultShot captures your website on your schedule — hourly, daily, or weekly — ensuring no gaps in your compliance timeline.
Each capture generates a professional PDF with hash, timestamp, metadata, and screenshot preview — ready to hand directly to auditors or regulators.
Anyone can verify a screenshot's authenticity by uploading it or pasting its hash. Provides instant, independent proof that the file is untampered.
VaultShot automatically detects and dismisses cookie consent banners before capture — ensuring clean, unobstructed screenshots every time.
Same SHA-256 hashing standard. Fraction of the cost.
| Feature | VaultShot — $19/mo | PageFreezer — $500+/mo | Smarsh — $1,000+/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHA-256 Hashing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automated Captures | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| PDF Certificates | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Self-Service Signup | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Month-to-Month Billing | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Setup in Minutes | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Monthly Price | $19/mo | $500+/mo | $1,000+/mo |
Try the free snapshot tool — no account needed. Or go Pro for $19/mo with daily automated captures, hash verification, and PDF certificates.
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