More broker-dealers are suspending their sale of Nicholas Schorsch-affiliated nontraded real estate investment trusts. The suspensions are coming in the wake of the announcement of a $23 million accounting error involving American Reality Capital Properties Inc., which is the traded REIT under Schorsch’s control. Even after the error was found…
James “Jeb” Bashaw, the former star financial adviser at LPL Financial (LPLA) from Texas is now registered with International Assets Advisory, a small brokerage firm. LPL Financial fired Bashaw last month over allegations involving selling away. Then, for a while this month, he was with Wunderlich Securities Inc. Selling away…
Blake B. Richards, an ex-LPL Financial (LPLA) broker, must pay close to $2 million in penalties and disgorgement over allegations that he defrauded clients of close to $1.7 million. According to the case, submitted in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Georgia, Richards told at least seven…
In a settlement reached with the Illinois Securities Department, LPL Financial (LPLA) agreed to pay a $2 million fine and $820K in restitution for inadequate books and records maintenance involving 1035 exchanges. According to the firm’s BrokerCheck file, LPL Financial did not enforce “supervisory system and procedures” when certain persons…
FINRA says that LPL Financial, LLC must pay a fine of $950,000 for supervisory deficiencies involving the sale of alternative investment products, such as oil and gas partnerships, non-traded real estate investment trusts, managed futures, hedge funds, and other illiquid pass-through investments. By settling, the independent broker-dealer is not denying…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has barred ex-LPL Financial (LPLA) representative Gary Chakman over securities industry rule violations related to the sale of non-traded real estate investment trusts. Chackman was registered with the brokerage firm from 2001 until 2012. LPL then ended his registration with the firm for purportedly violating…
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin just announced that independent broker-dealers Ameriprise Financial Services (AMP), Securities America Inc., Commonwealth Financial Network, Lincoln Financial Advisors, and Royal Alliance Associates have consented to pay another $10.75 million in restitution over non-traded REITs that were sold to clients between 2005 and now. The…
LPL Financial Inc. (LPLA) is no longer allowing independent representatives to supervise themselves and will impose a fee increase on some 2,200 one-person shops. These changes are among the firm’s steps to restructure oversight and compliance. With over 13,000 registered investment advisers and financial representatives, LPL is the biggest independent-contractor…
LPL Securities has hired the Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Enforcement’s ex-acting deputy director David Bergers as LPL Financial Holdings Inc.’s (LPLA) general counsel and managing director for government and legal relations. Following news of the appointment, LPL CEO and Chairman Mark Casady was quick to point out that…
Blake Richards, a former LPL Financial LLC adviser, is now facing Securities and Exchange Commission charges for allegedly defrauding investors and misappropriating about $2 million from at least seven customers. Most of the funds that were misappropriated were life insurance proceeds from dead spouses and retirement funds. Last week, the…