What is the primary purpose of a "regulatory audit"?

The primary purpose of a regulatory audit is a systematic examination of an entity's compliance with regulatory standards. This type of audit is designed to assess whether an organization is adhering to specific laws, regulations, and guidelines that govern its operations. The focus of a regulatory audit is on compliance, ensuring that the entity is following the necessary legal and regulatory requirements that apply to its industry. This is crucial as non-compliance can lead to legal penalties, fines, or other sanctions that can adversely affect the organization.

In this context, a regulatory audit plays a vital role in identifying areas of risk, ensuring accountability, and promoting good governance. It can be a helpful tool for organizations to improve their processes and enhance their compliance frameworks, thereby reducing the risk of regulatory breaches.

Profitability is generally outside the scope of a regulatory audit's primary purpose, as this audit focuses on compliance rather than financial performance. The marketing of compliance programs is not a focus of this type of audit either, which is concerned more with adherence to regulations than with promoting services. Lastly, while financial reviews by external auditors can be essential, they serve a different function and focus primarily on the financial statements rather than compliance with regulatory standards.