FINRA Fines and Suspends Former LPL Broker Over Undisclosed Customer Settlement
From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) fined former LPL Financial broker Gregory W. Berg $2,500 and suspended him for 15 days after finding that he settled a customer complaint without notifying or obtaining approval from his firm, as reported by AdvisorHub.
According to a FINRA Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (AWC) letter, Berg paid a customer nearly $14,400 in October 2025 after the customer orally complained about the value and annuitization of a variable annuity contract. Berg did not report the complaint to LPL or seek approval for the payment, as the firm required.
FINRA found that Berg violated Rule 2010, which requires brokers to observe "high standards of commercial honor."
AdvisorHub reports that FINRA opened its investigation after LPL terminated Berg in January over the same conduct.
Berg settled the matter without admitting or denying FINRA's findings.
According to AdvisorHub, FINRA has previously sanctioned brokers for resolving customer complaints without firm approval. In June, the regulator suspended a Stifel Financial broker for two months and fined her $10,000 after she paid a married couple more than $1,300 to settle complaints without informing her firm.
Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory, and disciplinary matters.
Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, finra enforcement, lpl financial, broker misconduct, securities regulation, undisclosed settlement





