Regulatory actions and programs

The rep purportedly stole $8,700 from an account funded with donations, according to FINRA.

One suggestion planners say they are offering bullish clients: Don't be extreme.

The costs of complying with the fiduciary rule may cause many smaller independent broker-dealers to disappear. Advisor Group plans to take advantage of this trend.

"There is an added sense of urgency now," says Barbara Roper, director of investor protection at the Consumer Federation of America.

The arbitration award comes a month after the wirehouse had to pay a similar amount to clients stemming from the sale of debt from the island commonwealth.

Coding and other billing system errors were to blame, according to the regulator.

Citigroup Global Markets paid a $1 million penalty to New York State for overcharging more than 47,000 customers. It will also reimburse the customers.

OSHA supports ex-broker Johnny Burris’ firing because he allegedly faked company letterhead. Burris says the bank approved the altered letter years before.

The decision vindicates ex-broker Johnny Burris, but also supports the move to fire him. However, a bank document obtained by Financial Planning casts doubts on the reason for his termination.

FINRA accused the rep of "structuring" transactions by making cash deposits into her personal savings account in amounts under the currency transaction reporting threshold of $10,000.

Industry experts said the proposal shows that New York, which oversees a number of major Wall Street players, is positioning itself to take a more aggressive approach than its federal counterparts.

The advisor paid $50,000 to a widow's lawyer to refer her $100 million account to him – a fact he failed to disclose to the client, the agency claims.

The regulator plans to ramp up scrutiny of bad brokers and electronic communications, among other new measures.

The adviser misappropriated $268,680 from the brokerage accounts of five elderly clients, one terminally ill.

The former broker, who pleaded guilty to securities fraud last month, allegedly promised clients returns of up to 15% and used proceeds for personal expenses.

High-value targets include client names and account numbers. Protecting the information can also protect an advisory practice from regulatory penalties.

The regulator accused the rep of writing 38 checks totaling $46,280 from two personal J.P. Morgan bank accounts that it claims did not have sufficient funds to cover the checks.

Jay Clayton represented the bank in connection with the $10 billion bailout it received in 2008 as part of the government’s $700 billion rescue of banks during the financial crisis.

The rep declined to provide the regulator with the documents and information it needed to assess allegations that he misappropriated bank customer funds.

The brokerage firm processed a number of securities transactions that facilitated conversions of foreign currency from or into U.S. dollars, FINRA claimed.