FINRA Fines and Suspends Merrill Lynch Advisor Over Unauthorized Role as Estate Executor

Posted on February 1st, 2024 at 1:26 PM
FINRA Fines and Suspends Merrill Lynch Advisor Over Unauthorized Role as Estate Executor

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law 

Frederick R. Watson, a veteran advisor with 37 years of experience at Merrill Lynch, has been fined $10,000 and suspended for four months by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The penalty stems from allegations that Watson served as the executor of a client's estate without obtaining permission from Merrill Lynch.

According to AdvisorHub, Watson began acting as the executor in 2018 following the death of a longtime client. However, he allegedly falsely claimed on internal compliance questionnaires that he was not engaged in such a role. This violation of FINRA's outside business activity rule occurred without prior authorization from Merrill Lynch, preventing advisors from taking on roles with a "reasonable expectation of compensation" without firm approval. Although Watson sought compensation for his executor duties, he reportedly did not receive payment.

Merrill Lynch became aware of the situation in September 2019 when an estate beneficiary filed a lawsuit against Watson. In response, Merrill issued a written warning and reported the incident to FINRA, leading to the regulatory investigation that resulted in Watson's fine and suspension.

 

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, finra

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

If you find yourself in trouble with the regulators, call Eccleston Law, you won't regret it.

Rick R.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

December 2, 2025
Crypto's Leverage Shakeout Exposes Structural Risks

The crypto market’s recent downturn erased nearly $20 billion in leveraged positions within hours and half a trillion dollars in market value over a single weekend.

December 1, 2025
UBS Winds Down Funds as First Brands Bankruptcy Ripples Through Global Markets

UBS Group AG has begun liquidating two invoice finance funds with direct exposure to First Brands Group, marking one of the earliest moves by a major financial institution to contain the fallout from the bankrupt auto-parts supplier’s collapse, as reported by Bloomberg Law.

November 26, 2025
Former GWG Chair Charged in Alleged $150 Million Fraud Scheme as Investor Losses Mount

Federal prosecutors have intensified scrutiny of the long-running collapse of GWG Holdings Inc., unveiling criminal charges against Bradley Heppner, the former chair of both GWG and Beneficient.