Eccleston Law Blog

Dr. Cash Sentenced for Defrauding Retirees

June 24th, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Terrence Chalk, an unregistered investment advisor who operated under the alias “Dr. Cash,” has been sentenced to three years in prison for orchestrating a fraudulent investment scheme that defrauded millions from unsuspecting victims.
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FINRA Fines AAG Capital for RILA Exchange Violations

June 23rd, 2025 at 1:47 PM
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) has fined AAG Capital $100,000 and ordered the firm to pay nearly $39,000 in restitution after finding it violated Regulation Best Interest (“Reg BI”) by recommending costly registered index-linked annuities (“RILAs") to retail clients in unsuitable product exchanges.
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SEC Charges Former Real Estate CEO in $46 Million Investment Fraud Scheme

June 19th, 2025 at 11:21 AM
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has charged Kenneth Mattson, former CEO of LeFever Mattson, with orchestrating a $46 million investment fraud scheme that targeted approximately 200 investors, many of them retired senior citizensfrom his church community in California.
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Audit Firms Agree to $46 Million Settlement in GPB Capital Fraud Case

June 18th, 2025 at 2:09 PM
In a significant development in the GPB Capital fraud litigation, several audit firms have agreed to pay a combined $46 million to settle claims tied to their alleged involvement in the $1.8 billion scheme that impacted roughly 15,000 investors, as reported by DI Wire.
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FINRA Sanctions Former Advisor for Unsuitable Variable Annuity Exchanges

June 17th, 2025 at 11:40 AM
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has fined and suspended former broker Thomas Vigil for making unsuitable variable annuity recommendations that resulted in customers paying higher fees.
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GPB Capital Executives Sentenced for Fraud in Private Placement Scheme

June 16th, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Two former top executives at GPB Capital Holdings received prison sentences for their roles in a years-long investment fraud scheme.
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New York Tax Preparer Charged in $50 Million Ponzi Scheme

June 13th, 2025 at 11:52 AM
New York’s Attorney General announced the arrest of Miles Burton Marshall, an upstate New York tax preparer and insurance agent accused of orchestrating a decades-long Ponzi scheme that defrauded nearly 1,000 investors out of more than $50 million.
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Former Morgan Stanley Advisor Banned for Profit-Sharing Scheme and Policy Violations

June 12th, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Joseph A. Eisler has agreed to a permanent ban from the brokerage industry, according to a recent settlement with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).
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CFP Board Announces Certification Fee Increase

June 10th, 2025 at 10:52 AM
The CFP Board of Directors has approved a $120 increase to the annual certification fee for CFP® professionals, raising the total to $575.
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Investor Sues Both Schwab and Hightower Over Pledged Asset Line

June 9th, 2025 at 11:53 AM
A retiree has filed a lawsuit accusing Charles Schwab & Co. and Hightower Advisors of financial elder abuse, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty.
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TESTIMONIALS

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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 18, 2025
UBS Warns of Rising Default Risk in Private Credit

A UBS report signals that credit stress likely will intensify next year as borrowers confront inflation, elevated interest costs, and softening consumer conditions.

December 17, 2025
Audit Failures, Whistleblower Claims, and Renewed Scrutiny of the Big Four

A series of lawsuits, congressional findings, and high-profile corporate collapses has reignited long-standing concerns about the audit industry’s ability to confront fraud, as reported by Bloomberg Law.

December 16, 2025
Reminders for CFAs in Adhering to Compliance Standard, Client-Disclosure and Conflict Management Requirements

In 2023, the CFA Institute Board of Governors approved targeted revisions to the Standards of Professional Conduct, adding one new standard and updating two others.