FINRA Suspends Former Raymond James Advisor Over UIT Sales

Posted on February 18th, 2022 at 1:03 PM
FINRA Suspends Former Raymond James Advisor Over UIT Sales

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law:

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has suspended a former Raymond James advisor for three months and imposed a $5,000 fine over unsuitable sales of Unit Investment Trusts (UITs).


The St. Petersburg-based advisor, Lynn Faust, allegedly recommended at least 4,500 “early” rollovers of UITs prior to their maturity date between 2013 and 2017, according to FINRA. In 2,200 cases, FINRA alleges that Faust convinced clients to exchange one UIT for another with similar investment objectives. UITs typically feature sales charges of around 3.95%. However, an early rollover likely would accrue an additional sales charge of 2.95%, according to FINRA. Faust was ranked #1 on Forbes’ list of the country’s Top Women Advisors and #4 in the state overseeing $265 million in assets prior to her termination.


Raymond James has fired several advisors in recent months over unsuitable UIT sales. In fact, the firm recently agreed to a $15 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which included $12 million in restitution pertaining to excessive advisory fees and improper UIT charges. According to BrokerCheck, Faust entered the industry in 1981 with Waddell & Reed prior to joining Raymond James in 1988.
Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, regulatory and disciplinary matters.

 
 

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, finra

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

I am so blessed to have you and your dynamic team defending me. Your ethics, forward thinking and strategies are amazing.  You guys are the best group of attorneys in the country that I could hire to handle this complicated case.

Cindy C.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

March 4, 2026
Modern Fraud Schemes Escalate in Scale and Sophistication

A recent panel discussion at the Financial Services Institute OneVoice conference in San Diego highlighted how rapidly evolving fraud schemes continue to victimize both retail and wealthy investors.

March 3, 2026
FINRA Suspends Former Stifel Broker Over Costly Account Switching Trades

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) suspended a former Stifel, Nicolaus & Co.

March 2, 2026
FINRA Suspends Cetera Broker for Accepting $50,000 Client Bequest Without Firm Approval

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) imposed a $10,000 fine and a seven-month suspension on an independent broker for accepting a $50,000 bequest from a client without obtaining prior firm approval.