CFP Board Lifts Interim Suspension of Former UBS Advisor

Posted on September 23rd, 2022 at 1:30 PM
CFP Board Lifts Interim Suspension of Former UBS Advisor

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law.

The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP Board) has lifted an interim suspension it had imposed against a former UBS advisor after criminal fraud charges against him were recently dismissed.

New Jersey state officials had charged Joseph Whitney in January 2021 with a first-degree conspiracy charge related to his role in an alleged scheme that included his wife, Melanie, and several other individuals. The CFP Board subsequently imposed its interim suspension order in March 2021. In addition to UBS, Whitney had been employed by Morgan Stanley and Wedbrush Securities, where he worked until February 2021, according to BrokerCheck.

According to the original charges, Joseph Whitney’s wife, Melanie, allegedly overstated her professional real estate experience and misappropriated at least $75,000 from two investors via fraudulent real estate deals. Prosecutors further alleged that she siphoned the funds into bank accounts controlled by co-conspirators. However, New Jersey prosecutors dropped the criminal charges against Joseph Whitney in March, which prompted the CFP Board Counsel to left the interim suspension last month.

Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, regulatory and disciplinary matters.

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, advisors, ubs, cfp

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

Thank you for your professional assistance with this matter. You are very good at what you do.

John T.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

February 17, 2026
FINRA Fines Kingswood Capital Partners $150,000 for Supervisory Failures in GWG L Bond Sales

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) censured and fined San Diego–based broker-dealer Kingswood Capital Partners $150,000 after finding supervisory failures tied to sales of high-risk GWG L bonds.

February 16, 2026
FINRA Removes Arbitrators in Stifel Case, Drawing Scrutiny Over Impartiality Standards

FINRA agreed to remove two potential arbitrators from an upcoming Stifel Financial arbitration tied to former Miami-based broker Chuck Roberts, a move that could carry broad implications for investor arbitration.

February 13, 2026
Cetera Fined $1.1 Million Over Supervisory and AML Deficiencies

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has censured and fined Cetera Financial Group $1.1 million after identifying supervisory system and anti-money laundering (AML) failures across several subsidiary broker-dealers.