Regulation

Former Morgan Stanley Smith Barney financial advisor Victor Manuel Rivera Jr. pled guilty in a New Jersey federal court to stealing more than $90,000 from the accounts of his clients.

The SEC filed a complaint this month accusing Brenda Eschbach of misappropriating over $3 million of her clients’ funds.

Regulators are stepping up their efforts to safeguard investors and their money from unscrupulous financial advisors. Here’s an interactive slide show detailing five advisors who have already found themselves in the SEC’s crosshairs this year.

As brokers and investors are all too aware by now, IRS Form 1099-B, on which brokerage transactions are reported, has a new look this year and advisors and clients are scrambling to makes sense of it.

NYSE Euronext said its annual report to the SEC that it incurred $85 million of legal, banking and other expenses in 2011 from its unsuccessful plan to merge with Deutsche Boerse.

Raymond James clears one hurdle in getting early termination of the waiting period in connection with the $930 million purchase of Morgan Keegan

FSI needs a bit more time to respond, and some of the data requests seem misguided, according to a letter it sent to the Labor Department.

Peter H. Sargent explains why he chose Janney. A 20-year veteran and top producer at Merrill, Sargent boasts $250 million in client assets.

FINRA is seeking input regarding changes it is weighing with respect to BrokerCheck. The proposed changes prompted a swift and strong response from readers on Financial Planning’s discussion boards.

The new regulations follow a model that the North American Securities Administrators Association passed in December.