Regulation

The proposed changes, including to brokers' "payment for order flow" practices, laregly come in response to frenzied trading in so-called meme stocks.

Lawyers note the kinds of grievances the firm allegedly withheld are what potential clients look at when choosing advisors.

Fines levied by the Wall Street regulator have dwindled in recent years.

The SEC obtained emergency asset freezes against Jonathan Adam and Tanner Adam, and their respective entities, to halt an alleged $60 million cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme.

The arbitration decision comes more than a year after SW Financial was expelled from the industry for violating Regulation Best Interest.

A FINRA study found nearly 400 firms, or 65% of the broker-dealers surveyed, have some hand in crypto assets and trading, as the once-novel asset class becomes normalized. But that still doesn't make it normal for regulators.

Regulators have been working their way steadily down from the biggest players in the industry to regional firms in their quest to stamp out abuses of "off-channel" communications.

Cadaret Grant agreed to fines to clear up allegations that it had failed to disclose conflicts with costly mutual funds and sweeps accounts.

The wealth management giant questions if there has ever been so large a civil sanction handed down in response to "negligent mistakes" made in an attempt to comply with "unwritten rules."

Researchers wonder if similar regulatory attention could eventually hit the bottom lines of independent broker-dealers and RIAs.