FINRA Sanctions Over 60 Advisors for Continuing Education Violations

Posted on December 20th, 2024 at 5:17 PM
FINRA Sanctions Over 60 Advisors for Continuing Education Violations

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

FINRA has disciplined 62 advisors for cheating on New York’s continuing education (CE) requirements tied to insurance license renewals. The advisors, who neither admitted nor denied FINRA’s findings, consented to $5,000 fines and one-month suspensions, as reflected in their AWCs (Acceptance, Waiver, and Consents).

Financial Planning reports that advisors falsely certified completion of the mandatory CE—typically 15 hours—while another unidentified individual completed the training on their behalf, according to FINRA records. The sanctions, issued since February 2023, address violations dating back to 2021. FINRA also barred four advisors from the industry after they refused to cooperate with the investigation. Additionally, one unregistered broker-dealer employee faced sanctions for their role. The advisors worked at 15 firms, including:

  • Allstate Financial Securities
  • Ameritas Investment Co.
  • Cetera Advisor Networks
  • LPL Financial
  • Northwestern Mutual Investment Services
  • NYLife Securities
  • PFS Investments
  • Voya Financial Advisors (VFA), among others

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

January 24, 2025
Fidelity to Shift Independent Advisor Cash to Lower-Yielding FCash Amount in 2025

Fidelity Investments plans to redirect cash balances in non-retirement brokerage accounts managed by independent financial advisors to its in-house sweep account, FCash, starting in 2025.

January 23, 2025
Barred Advisor Continues Pattern of Settlements at Western International Securities

Chris Kennedy, a barred advisor formerly associated with Western International Securities, has agreed to a $2.1 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over allegations of high-volume trading, or churning, in client accounts.

January 22, 2025
FINRA to Revise Outside Business Activities Rules

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is seeking to overhaul its rules on outside business activities (OBA) and private securities transactions.