Compliance

Non-bank financial companies, including mutual fund operators, should get ready to find out whether they will be designated a "systemically important financial institution," aka, SIFI, now that the Financial Stability Oversight Council released final rules on April 3, according to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

The SEC charged four executives of what is now a Charles Schwab Corp. subsidiary as well as one customer with selling billions of dollars worth of securities they could not deliver.

After a long, winding legal road, involving no fewer than six federal court decisions, Ameriprise Financial finally won a suit alleging that it had charged excessively high advisor fees.

The 2008-2009 financial crisis that rocked worldwide markets was amplified by the lack of a sufficient regulatory framework, including checks on the largest broker-dealer firms, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke said Friday.

The Financial Services Institute has expanded its agenda to include retirement and tax issues. As part of the expansion, the independent broker-dealer advocacy group has hired Robert Lewis as government affairs counsel for tax and retirement.

On April 16, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged the former chief financial officer of optionsXpress and three other officials of the online options and futures brokerage of engaging in “an abusive naked short selling scheme’’ involving billions of dollars of sham trades.

Does a U.S. Supreme Court ruling based on the Anna Nicole Smith case prevent a bankruptcy court from resolving hundreds of lawsuits brought by the Madoff firm's trustee?

Rep. Spencer Bachus seen offering legislation that could lead to FINRA becoming the self-regulatory organization overseeing investment advisors.

MME reports on April 13, 2012: After a long, winding legal road, involving no fewer than six federal court decisions, Ameriprise Financial finally won a suit alleging that it had charged excessively high advisor fees.

Lincoln Financial Advisors had abruptly terminated Jeffrey Concepcion in August 2008, according to the arbitration filing, and then withheld severance after he refused to agree to a non-competition agreement.

Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay a $22 million fine and accept other penalties to resolve charges from the SEC that the firm lacked adequate policies and procedures to address the risk that during weekly meetings, known as “huddles,” its analysts could share important non-public information about upcoming research changes.

FINRA is taking comments on its proposal to change the rules for its current procedures for removing complaints about advisors from a central database. But time is running out, as the comment period ends May 21.

George-Lucas-Manages-Chaos

The first criminal trial involving muni market executives accused of bid-rigging is scheduled to begin next week in a federal court in New York City, unless they enter into plea agreements.

After taking public comment, CFP Board announced new changes to its rules and procedures in three areas, including the way it handles bankruptcies among certificants and applicants.

A FINRA hearing panel has fined Syosset, N.Y.-based David Lerner Associates Inc. $2.3 million and suspended head trader William Mason for six months with a $200,000 fine for charging excessive markups on municipal bond and collateralized mortgage obligation transactions over a two-year period.

The CFTC is expected to file a civil case against JPMorgan. The bank is expected to settle the Lehman matter and pay a fine of about $20 million, the paper reports.

A federal judge has declared that Fidelity Investments and the American unit of ABB, Inc. violated federal laws by making pension holders pay excessive 401(k) plan fees, and has ordered the defendants to pay $36.9 million in damages.

An arbitration panel has ordered Stifel Nicholas & Co. to pay $70,000 out of a more than $7 million claim brought against the firm by Wachovia Securities for allegedly unfairly raiding one of its Oklahoma offices.

A federal judge has declared that Fidelity Investments and the American unit of ABB, Inc. violated federal laws by making pension holders pay excessive 401(k) plan fees, and has ordered the defendants to pay $36.9 million in damages.