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

FINRA Fines LPL Over Failure to Detect Harmful Wire Transfers to Clients

Posted on July 31st, 2023 at 1:13 PM
FINRA Fines LPL Over Failure to Detect Harmful Wire Transfers to Clients

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (FINRA) imposed a $3 million fine on LPL Financial for failing to oversee two financial advisors adequately. Those advisors had misappropriated $2.4 million from 13 clients, predominantly senior citizens.

According to the FINRA settlement, known as an Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (“AWC”), from May 2018 to August 2020, the advisors "converted” client funds by having them write checks or make wire transfers of funds to various entities they controlled. One advisor used at least $550,000 in client funds to pay his personal and business expenses. The second advisor took almost $1.9 million from clients and used most of it to purchase real estate. 

Additionally, FINRA claimed that LPL failed to have a supervisory system reasonably designed to detect possible instances of signature forgery or falsification. During that period, nearly 50 LPL sales reps electronically signed another person's name on over 1,000 LPL documents, including on documents that were required books and records of the firm. 

According to AdvisorHub, the issue began when LPL informed the self-regulatory authority a few weeks before submitting the necessary industry documentation (a Form U-5) that it had fired one of its financial advisors for misappropriating customer funds.

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

 

Related Attorneys: James J. Eccleston

Tags: Eccleston, Eccleston Law, FINRA, LPL

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next
Quotes Bigger

I want to extend a tremendous thank you for your dedication, professionalism, hard work and patient demeanor through this challenging time. It was enjoyable interacting with everyone on your team, this certainly helped while dealing with the situation and working towards resolution.

Dan M.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1781893504 Law
June 19, 2026
FINRA Suspends Former Stifel Rep for Undisclosed Customer Settlements

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has suspended a former Stifel representative for three months and imposed a $10,000 fine after finding that she settled customer complaints without notifying her firm and conducted securities-related communications through an unapproved personal device.

1781798110 Law
June 18, 2026
Silver Star Properties REIT Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Amid Mounting Defaults and Investor Losses

Silver Star Properties REIT, a publicly registered nontraded real estate investment trust formerly known as Hartman Short Term Income Properties XX Inc., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to reports by AltsWire.

1781712614 Law
June 17, 2026
As Wealth Management Consolidation Accelerates, Some Advisors Reevaluate the Meaning of Independence

According to AdvisorHub, the independent wealth management industry has entered a new phase of evolution, prompting some advisors to question whether the firms that once championed independence now increasingly resemble the traditional institutions many advisors left behind.