Tr?id=566623520170033&ev=PageView&noscript=1

FINRA Bars Former Cetera Advisor Who Converted Client Funds

Posted on April 13th, 2022 at 1:31 PM
FINRA Bars Former Cetera Advisor Who Converted Client Funds

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law:

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has barred a former Cetera Financial advisor for allegedly converting $40,000 from her client accounts in order to purchase mutual fund shares for her son.


The former advisor, Marianne Smith, consented to the bar without admitting or denying FINRA’s findings, according to FINRA’s letter of acceptance, waiver and consent (“AWC”). Smith joined the industry in 1987 with American Express Financial Advisors before eventually transitioning to Cetera in 2016. However, Cetera filed a Uniform Termination Notice (Form U5) in June 2021 indicating that Smith was fired in connection with the firm’s investigation into Smith’s alleged conversion of client funds.


According to FINRA, Smith allegedly converted at least $45,100 from three older Cetera clients between February 2018 and April 2021. Between 2018 and 2021, three Cetera clients provided Smith 10 checks totaling $45,100 payable to a mutual fund company associated with Cetera. However, Smith instead used the client funds, “without their prior knowledge or consent, to purchase mutual fund shares for a family member of Smith”, according to FINRA. Nevertheless, the clients were fully reimbursed after Cetera discovered Smith’s misconduct, according to FINRA.


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

 
 

Tags: eccleston law, finra, cetera

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next
Quotes Bigger

Jim, Stephany and the whole team were a God send.  We felt like we were put into a situation where we had no advocate. Jim’s team came in with a strong, well laid out strategy on how to get our story heard. Where our outside compliance company had no ability to help, our Broker Dealer was impenitent, and the regulators were aggressive pursuing vague rules, Jim came like a barricade against an assault we did not understand. Though you pay member dues to be affiliated with FINRA and a B/D, you have no voice. The only thing that is truly heard in this un-level playing field is a bulldog’s bark like Jim’s. I would encourage anyone to call Jim and his team to find a real ally in the tough and complicated world of securities regulation. They are truly the best.

Greg P.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1779901574 Law
May 27, 2026
FINRA Sanctions Cambridge Investment Research for Supervisory Failure in Variable Annuity Exchanges

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has censured Cambridge Investment Research and ordered the firm to pay nearly $280,000 after finding that it failed to properly supervise variable annuity exchanges, according to AdvisorHub.

1779464913 Law
May 22, 2026
Blue Owl Caps Redemptions as Investors Seek Billions in Withdrawals from Private Credit Funds

Blue Owl Capital faced a sharp rise in redemption requests during the first quarter as investors attempted to withdraw approximately $5.4 billion from two of the firm's largest private credit funds, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal.

L
May 21, 2026
Edward Jones Faces Federal Privacy Lawsuits Over Alleged Data Sharing With Tech Companies

Edward Jones is facing multiple lawsuits alleging that the firm improperly shared clients' personal and financial information with third-party technology companies for targeted advertising purposes, according to reporting by Financial Planning.