Rule 506 of Regulation D is considered a "safe harbor" for the private offering exemption of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Companies relying on the Rule 506 exemption can raise an unlimited amount of money.

Under Rule 506(c), a company can broadly solicit and generally advertise the offering, but still be deemed to be undertaking a private offering within Section 4(a)(2) if:

• The investors in the offering are all accredited investors; and
• The company has taken reasonable steps to verify that its investors are accredited investors, which could include reviewing documentation, such as W-2s, tax returns, bank and brokerage statements, credit reports and the like.

Purchasers of securities offered pursuant to Rule 506 receive "restricted securities", meaning that the securities cannot be sold for at least a year without registering them.

Companies relying on the Rule 506 exemption do not have to register their offering of securities with the SEC, but they must file what is known as a Form D electronically with the SEC after they first sell their securities. Form D is a brief notice that includes the names and addresses of the company’s promoters, executive officers and directors, and some details about the offering, but contains little other information about the company. If you are thinking about investing in a Regulation D offering, you should obtain a copy of the company’s Form D available from the EDGAR database.