FINRA Bars Ex-Registered Rep, Who Wouldn’t Cooperate In Investigation Christopher Duke Bennett, an ex-Hilliard Lyons broker, is barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Bennett has been the subject of 15 numerous securities fraud customer disputes over the years. The bar comes after he refused to cooperate in the…
Ex-Morgan Stanley Broker Admits To Criminal Investment Fraud, Faces SEC Charges Michael Barry Carter, a former Morgan Stanley (MS) broker, has pleaded guilty to federal investment fraud and wire fraud charges involving a scam in which he defrauded five customers. This included at least one elderly client, of more than…
FINRA Bars Former Registered Representative Following Probe Into Accusations Bryant Edwin Caveness, an ex-Ameriprise Financial Services stockbroker, has been barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) after he stopped cooperating in the self-regulatory organization (SRO)’s probe into his firing by the firm. According to his Form U5 termination letter,…
Colorado Investment Firm Fined $200K For Investing Unqualified Buyers Into Unsuitable Investments The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ordered First Western Capital Management Co. to pay a $200K fine over allegations that, over a 7-year period, it invested over $666M of clients’ funds into securities that they didn’t…
Former Financial Representative Is Facing Criminal Trial for Annuity Fraud The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has fined Northwestern Mutual Investment Services $350K for failing to properly supervise former stockbroker, Sampson Pearson, which enabled him to defraud customers of $570K. Northwestern Mutual Investment Services is the brokerage arm of Northwestern…
FINRA Says SagePoint Financial Brokers Unsuitably Recommended Early UIT Rollovers The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is ordering SagePoint Financial to pay over $1.6M in fines and restitution after it executed over $895 million in unit investment trust (UIT) transactions that resulted in more than $17.2 million in sales charges. …
FINRA Accuses SunTrust Investment Services of Failing to Properly Supervise Brokers The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has ordered SunTrust to pay $634K to settle charges accusing the broker-dealer of not properly supervising 17 of its brokers when they recommended that customers hold non-traditional exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for long periods–a…
Broker-Dealers Accused of Not Properly Supervising Custodial Accounts The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced that it has fined five major firms $1.4M in total for not reasonably supervising custodial accounts. The broker-dealers are: Citigroup (C), which will pay $300K. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (MS), which will pay $300K. JP…
NEXT Financial Group Sold Unsuitable REITs To Investors, Including Older Seniors If you were an investor who suffered losses in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) that were recommended and sold to you by a NEXT Financial Group broker, Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm) wants to talk to…