Law and legal issues

The barred advisor and his brother defrauded a widow as part of a real estate investment scheme, according to federal prosecutors.

The regulator proposed rule changes that will make it considerably more difficult for advisors to erase customer complaints from their disciplinary records.

In the latest clash after Morgan Stanley's exit from the Broker Protocol, the firm notched a win as the case heads to FINRA arbitration.

Entrepreneurs who suffer continuous losses could find their work classified as a hobby by the IRS.

Morgan Stanley and one of its advisors were ordered to return the entrepreneur's investment in two private placement funds totaling $536,000 and pay him $37,500 in compensatory damages.

The convicted fraudster allegedly stole more than $270,000 from his victims, including his mother and ex-girlfriend.

Wells may have settled with former employee Claudia Ponce de Leon because it wanted to avoid the "massive exposure" of a jury trial, an expert says. It is unclear how the agreement will affect Wells’ other cases.

It’s not easy, but advisors who believe they were wronged can request their records be expunged, an expert says.

The advisor claimed the bank placed a slanderous statement in his form U5, preventing him from finding a new job.

How advisors deal with grievances and arbitration can make or break a career.

Caleb Fackrell repeatedly called his behavior “insane” in his testimony, according to transcripts obtained by Financial Planning.

The widow argued that her advisor failed to confer with her about the investment strategy he and her late husband developed prior to her husband's sudden death.

Regulatory decisions, whistle-blower cases and acquisitions will define wealth management in 2018, and the people here will be the decision-makers who remake the industry.

In a concession to the advisor, he can still respond to client emails and calls, even though he may not initiate contact.

Advisors should expect more regulatory requirements, enforcement actions and uncertainty in 2018, experts say.

He intercepted checks from her home when she wasn’t there and forged her signature to steal her money, investigators say.

The wire fraud charge came nearly four years after the CFP Board revoked his certification.

The firm previously accused its former employee of using company stationery to continue to pass herself off as an Ameriprise advisor.

The SEC sought $3.4 billion in sanctions, the lowest total since 2013, according to data collected by a law professor at Georgetown University.

Even those who don’t work for Morgan Stanley could find themselves in a Catch-22.