If your firm gets a FINRA letter and you're scratching your head about what to do next, here's where to start. Log into the FINRA Firm Gateway within 7 days, open the letter, and either confirm you got it or ask for more time. That's really all there is to it.
What exactly are you looking at?
A FINRA letter isn't just some random email—it's a formal communication from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. As of 2026, these letters come in three main flavors: review letters (which spell out compliance issues with your filing), interpretive letters (which offer non-binding staff opinions on how rules apply in specific situations), and exemption letters (which confirm FINRA's decision to waive or modify a rule requirement). And yes, they're all delivered electronically—no paper mail involved.
Here's how to handle it step by step
- Find the letter first
Sign into FINRA Firm Gateway (Chrome 124 or later works best). Click “Correspondence Mailbox” in the left navigation. If it's not there within 5 business days of the postmark, check your spam folder and any shared inbox's Junk Mailbox. (Honestly, this is one of those things that's easy to overlook but makes all the difference.) - Confirm receipt or ask for more time
Open the letter. Hit “Acknowledge” to confirm you got it within 7 calendar days. Need more time? Choose “Request Extension,” pick a reason from the dropdown (like “Internal review in progress”), and set a new deadline no more than 21 days out. FINRA's standard response window is 21 calendar days unless the letter says otherwise. - Put together your response
Use the built-in template or upload a PDF. Keep paragraphs short—under 6 sentences each, since FINRA's automated system flags long blocks. Save the file as a PDF/A with searchable text (File → Save As → PDF/A). Add any supporting exhibits as separate PDFs under 10 MB each. - Send it off and double-check
Click “Submit Package.” You'll see an on-screen confirmation ID (format: FG-YYYYMMDD-XXXXX). Save the confirmation page and the PDF receipt email—these are your proof of filing. It usually takes 3–5 business days for FINRA to update the status to “Under Review.”
When things go sideways
- No letter in sight
Log a ticket in the FINRA Request Center under “Correspondence Not Received.” Include the expected postmark date and your CRD number. FINRA Support usually gets back to you within 1 business day. - Extension denied
If FINRA turns down your extension request, you've got just 24 hours to file or face a late fee ($150 as of 2026). The denial notice shows up in the same correspondence mailbox where the original letter was. - Response rejected for formatting issues
Re-upload the corrected PDF using the “Resubmit” button. In the comments box, note what you fixed (like “Replaced 3-page PDF with searchable PDF/A”). FINRA's system resets the clock once you resubmit—so you're not stuck waiting again.
How to avoid this mess in the future
Turn on email alerts in Firm Gateway: Settings → Notifications → “New Correspondence” → Delivery via email and in-platform. Set up a shared mailbox called “FINRA Mail” and give Compliance and Legal access. Block off a monthly “Reg Review” in your calendar to scan for new letters. Use a naming system like FINRA_YYYYMMDD_LetterType.pdf to keep versions organized. And don't forget to train new staff on the 2026 Firm Gateway User Guide—it walks through the exact steps we just covered.
