Law and legal issues

Wells Fargo appears to have offered two different reasons for why it failed to inform investors about the investigation into 2 million phony accounts.

One of the sanctioned advisers has 26 disclosure events listed on his FINRA BrokerCheck record while remaining in good standing with Ameriprise.

The wirehouse agrees to pay a $2.8 million fine after the regulator discovers the bad reporting went on for years.

Paul T. Lebel excessively traded shares that carried large front-end loads and "willfully disregarded the customers' interest," the agency said.

Planners and brokers alike must revisit their policies and procedures, caution legal and compliance experts. Here’s where to start.

The adviser claimed PNC falsely accused him of not having met with two clients for their annual review and challenged the firm for writing him up for falsifying documents.

The former RIA and fund advisor was cited for multiple fiduciary violations in a day-trading scheme, pocketing profitable trades from a pooled account while burdening clients with the losses.

The firm failed to promptly liquidate his $3 million brokerage account, the client's lawyer argued during the hearing.

The first-ever case of its kind is putting other broker-dealers on notice about the regulator's enhanced abilities to identify patterns of abuse.

The SEC's allegations against David Paterson were tied to a proposal to build the largest movie studio in North America.

The regulator has filed a complaint against whistleblower Johnny Burris, who has filed multiple cases against one of its largest member firms, JPMorgan.

U.S. attorneys have opened criminal inquiries to look into both potential corporate and individual wrongdoing, according to a person familiar with the Justice Department investigation.

The Swiss firm alerted brokers that they may take their disputes to FINRA instead of resolving them in a private forum set up by the company.

The case is the latest related to alleged misconduct by a barred wirehouse broker who was also a nightclub owner.

The adviser was also ordered to pay $300,000 to cover Wells Fargo's legal fees.

Client claimed that adviser's recommended strategy earned fees and commissions for the bank but wrecked his inheritance from his great grandfather.

George Merhoff poured his clients' portfolios into a handful of energy stocks that plummeted in value, ex-clients allege in arbitration cases.

The adviser allegedly placed more than 700 trades over three years, giving the client "little to no possibility" for a profit, the regulator says.

Luis Aguilar also weighs in on arbitration and SEC oversight of FINRA.

FINRA arbitrators hit the brokerage giants with the penalty for failing to catch a husband moving funds from his spouse's account.