On September 27, 2022, 15 broker-dealers and one investment adviser agreed to pay more than $1.8 billion in total civil penalties to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and, for those same companies or affiliates...more
10/5/2022
/ Broker-Dealer ,
CFTC ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Electronic Communications ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs) ,
Investment Adviser ,
New Guidance ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Swap Dealers ,
Swaps ,
Text Messages
Many compliance officers believe they have targets on their backs. Indeed, according to industry-wide surveys conducted by the National Society of Compliance Professional (NSCP), 72% of compliance professionals are concerned...more
Last week, yet another US Department of Justice (DOJ) official reportedly stated new corporate settlements “most likely” will include a requirement that the company’s chief compliance officer (CCO), as well as the chief...more
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, d/b/a Mark Twain, was the author of many outstanding (and often humorous) books and short stories that had good guys (e.g., Huck, Jim and Tom), bad guys (e.g., Pap Finn; the Duke and the Dauphin, who...more
You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It's a goldfish. Y'know why? It's got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish.
During the pandemic, we have had a lot of lows, as well as a few highs. And that’s just in pop...more
12/9/2021
/ Arbitration ,
Corporate Communications ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Mutual Funds ,
Net Capital Rule ,
Regulatory Violations ,
Rollover Equity ,
Sanctions ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)
FINRA has recently taken steps to advance diversity and inclusion in the broker-dealer industry.
Regulatory Notice 21-17 -
On April 29, 2021, FINRA issued Regulatory Notice 21-17, seeking comments on supporting...more
When you think about it, puns are kind of like securities enforcement actions. They could make you groan; they could make you laugh (if the conduct is particularly goofy) (or if you don’t like the respondent); or they often...more
Many of us watched Friends when it was originally broadcast using our rabbit ear antennas or through basic cable. Others watched it on reruns. While, more recently, some of us (or our children) watched on Netflix or, even...more
During the past couple of months, film fans got to see a recut version of The Godfather Part III called, Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. Francis Ford Coppola, the director and co-screenwriter...more
Often, there are quotes, spellings, symbols, events, or experiences that many of us “know” occurred, but which did not actually happen. This phenomenon is known as the “Mandela Effect,” or “collective false memory.” Its name...more
The SEC’s Division of Enforcement is likely to be active in 2020, investigating several issues important to broker-dealers and investment advisers.
In this Bottom Line videocast, Brian Rubin and Adam Pollet discuss:
Cash...more
2/18/2020
/ 403(b) Plans ,
457(b) Plans ,
Asset Management ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Firms ,
Investment Funds ,
Regulation Best Interest ,
Retirement Plan ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On September 24, 2019, in response to a request for clarification by certain industry groups, the Indiana Attorney General’s Office issued a Memorandum of Legal Guidance (the “MLG”) confirming that the amendments to the...more
On July 9, 2019, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published its latest Enforcement annual performance report for the year 2018/19. This follows the publication of its final FCA Mission: Approach to...more
7/26/2019
/ Compliance ,
Corporate Investigations ,
Enforcement ,
Enforcement Statistics ,
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Hong Kong ,
Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (HKSFC) ,
Information Reports ,
OCIE ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
UK
In October 2005, we wrote an article titled “Cooperation, Only More So: What It Takes to Receive Credit for Cooperating with NASD.” The title came from a line in the movie Casablanca. In it, Rick (Humphrey Bogart) is asked...more
In connection with the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) proposed Regulation Best Interest, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has asserted (with some case law support from the SEC) that its...more
On January 28, 2019, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) launched its 529 Plan Share Class Initiative (the Initiative) to encourage member firms to self-report potential violations of rules governing 529...more
Last week, on September 11, 2018, a number of “firsts” occurred in the prosecution of cryptocurrency-related activities. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) brought its first-ever enforcement action involving a...more
From January through July 2018, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has continued its focus on variable annuities (VAs), particularly related to exchanges and multi-share class VAs. FINRA has thus far settled...more
In 2017, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ordered more than two times the restitution from the prior year, resulting in the fourth highest total of sanctions (fines combined with restitution and...more
As the football season was winding down, on January 4, 2017, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published its 2017 Annual Regulatory and Examination Priorities Letter. According to FINRA President and CEO,...more
Despite a slowdown in the fines reported in 2015, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has continued to flex its enforcement muscle so far this year. During the first half of 2015, FINRA reported $37.5 million...more
9/21/2015
/ Advertising ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Associated Persons ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Corporate Fines ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Material Disclosures ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Restitution ,
Stock Trades
On December 1, 2014, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) Consolidated Supervision Rules will take effect. The Consolidated Supervision Rules, which were approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange...more
To ensure that broker-dealers (BDs) do not inadvertently facilitate an unlawful distribution of securities, the Securities and Exchange Commission has long required BDs to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” into the circumstances...more
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Member Firms have new language to include in their settlement and confidentiality agreements. On October 9, FINRA released Regulatory Notice (RN) 14-40, warning that firms are...more
On July 22, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) proposed Rule 2081, which prevents firms or associated persons from conditioning settlement or...more