The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Management and Budget says to expect the notice of proposed rulemaking for the Personalized Investment Advice Standard of Conduct in October 2016. The SEC’s fiduciary standard rule has been anticipated ever since 2010 when the Dodd-Frank Act gave the regulator the authority to…
Articles Posted in SEC Settlements
SEC, CFTC Look to Enhance Oversight of Alternative Trading Systems, High Speed Trading
The Securities and Exchange Commission has voted to propose rules to make enhancements to the regulatory oversight and operational transparency of Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs). The proposal would mandate that a ATS trading through the National Market System (NMS) submit detailed disclosures regarding: operations and broker-dealer operator and affiliated-related activities,…
Virtus Investment Advisers to Pay $16.5M to Settle False Performances Claims Related to ETF Portfolio Strategy
The Securities and Exchange Commission says that Virtus Investment Advisers will pay $16.5M to resolve charges accusing the investment management firm of misleading mutual fund investors and others using ads with false historical performance information about exchange-traded fund portfolio strategy AlphaSector. According to the regulator, the firm publicized a performance…
Republican Rep. Introduces Bill to Place Limits on SEC’s Use of In-House Judges
Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) recently introduced legislation that would let defendants choose the option of having their case tried in federal court instead of by a Securities and Exchange Commission administrative law judge. Garrett believes that the regulator has been overusing its in-house courts, practically turning itself into “judge, jury,…
Fenway Partners to Pay Over $8M For Not Disclosing Conflicts of Interest
The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed charges against Fenway Partners LLC and four of its executives. According to the regulator, when fund and portfolio company assets were used to pay ex-firm employees and an entity to which the New York-based private equity firm is affiliated the parties did not…
SEC Issues Over $325K Whistleblower Award to Ex-Investment Firm Employee Who Provided Fraud Tip
The Securities and Exchange Commission is awarding over $325K to an ex-investment firm employee who notified the regulator about misconduct that had been going on at his former employer. The information he provided allowed the SEC’s enforcement staff to investigate and discover the extent of the fraud. In addition to…
Securities Enforcement: DBSR to Pay Almost $6M to Settle SEC Related to Ratings Methodology for RMBSs and Re-REMICs, FINRA Censures NFP Advisor Services for Inadequate Supervision of Private Securities Transactions
Credit Rater Accused of Misrepresenting Surveillance Approach for Complex Securities Credit rating agency DBSR Inc. will pay nearly $6 million to settle Securities and Exchange Commission charges. The regulator is accusing the credit rater of misrepresenting the surveillance method it used for rating certain kinds of complex financial instruments over…
SEC Charges Against Six Firms For Stock Offering-Related Short Sale Violations Results In Over $2.5M in Sanctions
The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed charges against J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc., War Chest Capital Partners LLC, Harvest Capital Strategies LLC, Omega Advisors, Inc., Auriga Global Investors, Sociedad de Valores, S.A., and, Sabby Management LLC. All six firms settled the enforcement actions, which allege short selling violations ahead…
SEC Regulation News: Commission Proposes Mutual Fund, ETF Liquidity Management Rules, Requests Regulation S-X Comments, and Takes Out Credit Ratings References in Money Market Fund Form and Rule
SEC to Propose Reforms to Improve Liquidity Management for Open-End Funds The Securities and Exchange Commission voted to propose a package of rule reforms to improve effective liquidity risk management for open-end funds, including exchange-traded funds and mutual funds. If approved, both would have to put into place liquidity risk…
Latour Trading Faces SEC Charges Over Market Structure Rule Violations, Will Pay Over $8M
The Securities and Exchange Commission is charging Latour Trading LLC with violating the agency’s rules regarding market structure. To resolve the case, the high-frequency trading firm will pay over $8M, including more than $3 million of disgorgement of gross trading profits, rebates it received from exchanges, and prejudgemenet interest, as…