FINRA Charges Sutter Securities and Former CEO in Excessive Trading Case Involving Elderly Client
From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has filed an enforcement complaint against Sutter Securities Inc. and its former chief executive, Keith Charles Moore, alleging excessive trading in the accounts of an elderly retail customer and failures in supervisory oversight, according to InvestmentNews.
The regulator alleges that the firm, acting through a former registered representative, executed 2,217 trades in two trust accounts belonging to an 89 year old retired semiconductor executive between March 2020 and July 2021. The activity allegedly generated more than $2.9 million in trading costs and produced approximately $1.2 million in realized losses for the customer.
InvestmentNews reports that much of the trading occurred after Regulation Best Interest took effect on June 30, 2020. From that point through July 2021, the transactions allegedly produced about $2.5 million in costs and more than $1.8 million in realized losses. The complaint also cited annualized cost to equity ratios as high as 52 percent, a measure that reflects the rate of return an account must earn to offset commissions and related expenses.
According to InvestmentNews, FINRA alleged that the trading strategy conflicted with the client's investment profile. The complaint states that the customer maintained a long term growth objective and moderate risk tolerance. Despite that profile, the accounts reportedly experienced turnover rates as high as 16, an average holding period of approximately 17 days, and repeated in and out trading patterns.
InvestmentNews further reports that more than 90 percent of the trades involved margin. By November 2020, the client's margin debit balance allegedly reached about $7.66 million.
FINRA's complaint alleges that the trading activity was excessive, quantitatively unsuitable, and not in the client's best interest. The complaint states that the representative lacked a reasonable basis to believe the trading complied with the customer's objectives or satisfied best interest obligations.
InvestmentNews reports that Moore allegedly relied on the representative's explanation that he followed a "replication strategy" that mirrored trades from a third party asset manager. However, FINRA alleged that the client's accounts showed far greater trading activity than the referenced strategy and included repeated reentry into positions after the asset manager had exited them.
Beyond the individual account activity, InvestmentNews reports that FINRA challenged the adequacy of the firm's supervisory systems. The complaint alleges that Sutter Securities' written supervisory procedures lacked specific metrics or processes designed to detect excessive trading and did not require quantitative reviews using turnover or cost to equity measurements.
Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory, and disciplinary matters.
Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, finra enforcement, excessive trading, elder financial abuse, broker-dealer misconduct, securities regulation





