FINRA Sanctions Supervisor for Failing to Address Excessive Trading Red Flags

Posted on September 25th, 2024 at 11:33 AM
FINRA Sanctions Supervisor for Failing to Address Excessive Trading Red Flags

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

FINRA has acted against an Independent Financial Group (IFG) supervisor for failing to respond to red flags involving excessive trading in five customer accounts.

According to AdvisorHub, a California advisor involved allegedly generated $2.2 million in fees and incurred an additional $2.2 million in customer losses through excessive trading. The advisor in question, who previously agreed to a $50,000 fine and $115,000 in restitution, engaged in a pattern of buying and quickly selling large equity positions while charging commissions of up to 3 percent. One of the affected customers was an elderly individual with Alzheimer’s. The trading activities led to cost-to-equity ratios as high as 27 percent, making it nearly impossible for clients to realize any profit.

The supervisor settled the matter in what is known as an Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (“AWC”), neither admitting nor denying wrongdoing, but agreeing to a $5,000 fine and a four-month suspension.

FINRA determined that the supervisor’s failure to act violated FINRA Rule 3110, which requires firms to establish a reasonably designed supervisory system, as well as Rule 2010, a general standard of conduct.

 

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

Jim, Stephany and the whole team were a God send.  We felt like we were put into a situation where we had no advocate. Jim’s team came in with a strong, well laid out strategy on how to get our story heard. Where our outside compliance company had no ability to help, our Broker Dealer was impenitent, and the regulators were aggressive pursuing vague rules, Jim came like a barricade against an assault we did not understand. Though you pay member dues to be affiliated with FINRA and a B/D, you have no voice. The only thing that is truly heard in this un-level playing field is a bulldog’s bark like Jim’s. I would encourage anyone to call Jim and his team to find a real ally in the tough and complicated world of securities regulation. They are truly the best.

Greg P.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

December 10, 2025
SEC Highlights Rising Risks in RIA Consolidation and Focuses on Retailer Investor Protection

The Securities and Exchange Commission signaled heightened scrutiny of investment advisers involved in mergers and acquisitions, according to its newly released 2026 Examination Priorities.

December 9, 2025
The Vanishing Boundary Between Investing and Gambling

According to Bloomberg Law, there now are the tools, tactics, and a psychology of gambling that increasingly resembles those of retail trading.

December 8, 2025
Former Morgan Stanley Advisor Faces FINRA Action Over Undisclosed Loans from Elderly Client

FINRA filed a complaint against former Morgan Stanley advisor Kirk J. Crossen, alleging that he borrowed $400,000 from an 84-year-old customer experiencing early-stage dementia and concealed the loans from his firm.