GWG Blames SEC Investigation Of Sales Practices For Its Collapse

Posted on May 3rd, 2022 at 1:39 PM
GWG Blames SEC Investigation Of Sales Practices For Its Collapse

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law:

In its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings, GWG has criticized the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) investigation of broker-dealers that sold at least $1.6 billion of its life-settlement backed bonds as a major reason for the firm’s collapse, including GWG’s defaulting on $13.6 million in payments to bondholders. 

According to the filings, GWG contends that the SEC’s 2020 investigation of the firm eventually included the sales practice of some of the 145 broker-dealer firms that sold the bonds. The SEC’s investigation of those broker-dealers negatively impacted GWG’s reputation in the marketplace as well as the firm’s capacity to raise funds from sales of L bonds, according to the company. While GWG reported $3.5 billion of total assets and $2.1 billion in total debt, most of those assets are illiquid or hard-to-value pools of life settlements. 

According to the court filing, the SEC served a subpoena onto GWG Holdings in October 2020 relating to an investigation into the firm’s accounting procedures and issuance of bonds. According to GWG, the SEC’s investigation significantly slowed sales. GWG previously signaled an intention to file for bankruptcy protection when the firm was unable to file its 2021 annual report and accompanying financial statements after its failure to hire an auditor to replace Grant Thornton. 

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

 
 

Tags: eccleston law, gwg holdings, sec

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

If the regulators are after you, and are trying to make a case against you, and you are going to contest their allegations against you, make sure you have the best securities industry defense lawyers, Eccleston Law Firm. My case was spun into a combination of penalties including fines, cash settlements, CE courses and suspension. They were the best I have seen in action. When all was said and done, they had done their magic, my situation was negotiated and settled with a simple "letter of caution" and a case closed without action. It is the most important legal business decision you will ever make, make it Eccleston Law.

Rick R.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

January 6, 2026
SEC Halts Review of Ultra-Leveraged ETFs, Citing Risk Limits

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has stepped in to curb the expansion of ultra-leveraged exchange-traded funds, issuing a series of warning letters that effectively block proposed products designed to deliver three- and five-times the daily returns of stocks, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.

January 5, 2026
FINRA Suspends Former UBS Broker Over Personal Credit Card Transfers

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has sanctioned a former UBS Wealth Management USA broker, Timothy R. Jones.

December 22, 2025
FINRA Overhauls Arbitration Rules to Rebalance Arbitrator Selection and Codify Forum Practices

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has approved significant amendments to its Codes of Arbitration Procedure designed to rebalance public arbitrator selection, increase transparency, and formalize several long-standing practices in the arbitration forum.