Eccleston Law Blog

Former Financial Advisor Sentenced to Prison for $2.5 Million Investment Fraud Scheme

January 28th, 2025 at 9:00 AM
According to InvestmentNews, a former financial advisor from Wisconsin, David Braeger, has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for an investment fraud scheme that caused over $2.5 million in losses.
Read More

Gemini Settles $5 Million Case With CFTC Over Misleading Statements

January 27th, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Crypto exchange Gemini has agreed to pay $5 million to settle allegations by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that it made misleading statements about bitcoin futures contracts in 2017.
Read More

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

January 24th, 2025 at 2:00 PM
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.
Read More

Barred Advisor Continues Pattern of Settlements at Western International Securities

January 23rd, 2025 at 12:18 PM
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.
Read More

FINRA to Revise Outside Business Activities Rules

January 22nd, 2025 at 10:46 AM
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is seeking to overhaul its rules on outside business activities (OBA) and private securities transactions.
Read More

FINRA Orders $8.2 Million in Customer Restitution Over Mutual Fund Fee Errors

January 21st, 2025 at 3:17 PM
FINRA has required Edward Jones, Osaic Wealth, and Cambridge Investment Research to reimburse customers a combined total of more than $8.2 million for improperly charged mutual fund sales fees.
Read More

Wells Fargo and LPL Financial Settle SEC Charges Over Blue Sheet Reporting Errors

January 20th, 2025 at 3:36 PM
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced settlements with Wells Fargo Clearing Services and LPL Financial, each agreeing to pay a $900,000 penalty for failing to provide complete and accurate securities trading information, also known as electronic blue sheet data. 
Read More

FINRA Suspends and Fines Advisor for Misleading L Bond Sales

January 17th, 2025 at 2:30 PM
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has suspended and fined Alan Mason for violating Regulation Best Interest by recommending high-risk L bonds to a retail customer.
Read More

Former Merrill Lynch Advisor Wins Expungement of Allegations Tied to CBD Business

January 16th, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Charles Thomas “Todd” Mercer Jr., a former top Merrill Lynch advisor, successfully cleared his public record of allegations that hindered his ability to attract clients after transitioning to an independent practice. 
Read More

SEC Charges Nigerian Trio for Impersonating Financial Professionals in $2.9 Million Fraud Scheme

January 15th, 2025 at 2:29 PM
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged three individuals from Nigeria with orchestrating an elaborate online fraud scheme, stealing the identities of licensed financial advisors and investment advisers to defraud retail investors of over $2.9 million.
Read More

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

October 14, 2025
Morgan Stanley's Termination of Financial Advisor Highlights Scrutiny Over U-5 Filings

Morgan Stanley recently terminated a 25-year industry veteran in Miami, underscoring the heightened scrutiny surrounding U-5 filings and the challenges that accompany them.

October 13, 2025
Morgan Stanley Cuts Advisor Deferrals in 2026 Compensation Plan, Boosting Advisor Payouts

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management announced a significant change to its 2026 compensation plan, cutting advisor deferral rates by half while keeping total pay and grid structures largely unchanged.

October 10, 2025
Former Two Sigma Quant Researcher Faces Fraud Charges Over Manipulated Models

Federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have filed parallel actions against Jian Wu, a former quantitative researcher at Two Sigma Investments, alleging he secretly manipulated algorithmic trading models to boost his own compensation by millions of dollars.