The advisors were all charged with advertising hypothetical performance results without taking into account the particular needs of their audiences.

The changes come in response to questions that arose over the previous removal of a member from one of the regulator's three-person arbitration panels.

The Wall Street watchdog looks for factors like repeat violations and staff members with a history of disciplinary troubles.

Under the proposal, critics argue, investment ads could be considered recommendations triggering advisors' obligation to look out for clients' best interests.

The fees will vary depending on whether they're assessed on equities, options or over-the-counter equities.

Advisors have until Dec. 3 to opine on proposed revisions to types of misconduct and resulting sanctions.

The regulator accused a broker-dealer of not having proper supervisory procedures to prevent $533,500 in excessive transactions.

For at least seven years, the company has sought to recoup more than $5.4 million in taxes using an exemption the agency argues does not apply.

Regulators allege the CPA provided an air of legitimacy to John J. Woods' scam that defrauded 400 clients in 20 states.

The state regulators group plans eventually to introduce a similar system for independent advisor representatives.

The potential rules for sales or exchanges of cryptocurrency could reduce tax evasion and provide easily understandable documentation, experts said.

SEC crackdowns on off-channel communications are costing firms millions. Here's how to avoid being caught up in the next enforcement sweep.

The company is paying $75 million in penalties and restitution in connection with SEC allegations that its investment advisory arm overcharged customers it inherited in its Wachovia acquisition in 2008. The settlement is said to show the importance of conducting extensive compliance checks in a rapidly consolidating industry.

Other states are likely to look to Massachusetts for guidance on how far they can go in holding broker-dealers to a higher standard than Regulation Best Interest.

Mario Rivero pleaded guilty in February to swindling five clients out of more than $600,000.

The federal regulator reopens the comment period for its rule on safeguarding client assets in response to its new auditing requirement for private funds.

Commissioner Hester Peirce warns an unintended consequence of the new regulation could be less thorough internal compliance reviews.

According to the SEC, agreements that violated the cash solicitation rule generated 66,000 new clients and $300 million in AUM for the offending firm.

A lawyer representing Keith Todd Ashley argues prosecutors overreached in arguments used to obtain life sentence against his client.

A brokerage client's portfolio was gradually invested almost exclusively in the fund manager WisdomTree over a decade.