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

Thank you so very much for your guidance, patience, and expertise.

Beth and Steve K.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1793645928 Law
November 2, 2026
FINRA Finds Florida Broker Violated Regulation Best Interest in Variable Annuity Exchanges

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has found that a Florida-based registered representative violated Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) by recommending that eight retired clients exchange their variable annuities.

1793380402 Law
October 30, 2026
Former LPL Broker Faces Federal Charges in Alleged $11 Million Ponzi Scheme

Federal prosecutors accuse former LPL Financial broker William B.

1793294906 Law
October 29, 2026
FINRA Bars Former LPL Financial Broker for Refusing to Cooperate With Investigation

?The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA?) barred Buddy Dean Mason, a former LPL Financial broker in Lakeland, Florida, after he refused to provide documents and information during an investigation into a customer complaint involving an alleged outside investment.