Broker Headlines: Former Wells Fargo Broker Must Pay Back Firm $1.2M, Morgan Stanley CEO Wants to Lower Broker Compensation, & Representatives Oppose Best Interest Rules

Ex-Wells Fargo Advisors Broker Must Pay Back Firm $1.2M
A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority panel says that Philip DuAmarel, a former Wells Fargo Advisor (WFC), must pay his former employer back almost $1.3 million. The panel denied his claim that the firm oversold its corporate stock plan services during his recruitment. They told him to pay back the unvested part of an upfront loan he received when he became part of Wells Fargo.

DuAmarel worked for the firm for less than three years when he left in 2010 for Bank of America (BAC) Merrill Lynch. He contended that when the firm was recruiting him he was misled about Wells Fargo’s ability to serve corporate stock plans and also regarding how much he could make for helping executives with their company’s stock trades. DuMarel’s attorney said that the broker left when it became obvious he wouldn’t be able to work with clients they way he did when he was at Citigroup (C) Global Market’s Smith Barney.

Morgan Stanley CEO Seeks To Give Brokers Reduced Payouts
James Gorman, the CEO of Morgan Stanley (MS), said he wants to reduce broker payouts relative to revenue. This could mean that compensation in the wealth management business could drop to 55% of revenue, which is down 5% from last year. He said the reduction could be attributed to an increase in lending and banking products that garner less commission for advisers and fee-based accounts that offer a larger revenue/dollar of client assets (as opposed to accounts where commissions are involved).

Gorman, who made his statements at the firm’s yearly financials conference, also talked about how recruiting expenses was another area that was buoying cost ratios in the brokerage division. He said that the industry had arrived at a breaking point regarding how many veteran financial advisers could be traded back and forth among the biggest firms.

Brokers Oppose DOL’s Proposed Rule About Clients’ Best Interests in Retirement Accounts
According to The New York Times, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, which represents big financial firms on Wall Street, and the Financial Services Institute are continuing to oppose a proposed Labor Department rule that would mandate that a wider group of professionals place clients’ interests ahead of their own when it comes to retirement accounts. Right now, brokers are not obligated to do this when when advising clients about retirement.

The DOL is trying to amend a rule that is part of Employee Retirement Income Security Act, which outlines when advisers become fiduciaries. Currently, it isn’t very difficult for brokers to avoid becoming a fiduciary under Erisa. Before they must follow the higher standard they have to satisfy a five-part test. If they have a customer advice just once, the adviser doesn’t have to meet the rule requirements. Also, the broker and consumer have to both agree that the advice given was the primary reason for an investment choice.

Opponents of the rule, however, have continued to delay even the release of a revised proposed rule. They claim that the new rules would affect the way the industry is paid, which could make it hard for them to work with smaller investors. They are worried the rules could stop them from being able to charge commissions.

Under Erisa fiduciaries are not allowed to receive payment in a manner that would present a conflict of interest. Right now, are compensated in ways where there is possible conflict. This happens when a representative can earn a higher commission when recommending one product over another. Revenue sharing also presents possible conflicts.

Ex-Wells broker ordered to repay firm $1.2 million, Investment News, June 12, 2014
Morgan Stanley’s Gorman seeks to tame broker compensation, Investment News, June 11, 2014

Brokers Fight Rule to Favor Best Interests of Customers, NY Times, June 12, 2014

ERISA, United States Department of Labor

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