Eccleston Law Blog

Northern Trust Sues Former Advisor for Alleged Fraud and Breach of Fiduciary Duty

October 8th, 2025 at 3:07 PM
According to ThinkAdvisor, Northern Trust Company has filed suit against former wealth management relationship advisor Christopher Walters, alleging that he engaged in “blatant fraud” and breached his fiduciary duty to both the firm and a longtime client.  
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Tricolor Bankruptcy Sparks DOJ Probe and Distress in Subprime Auto Loan Market

October 7th, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Tricolor Holdings, a subprime auto lender that combined used-car sales with high-interest financing for borrowers with limited or no credit history, has collapsed into bankruptcy amid a federal investigation into alleged fraud.
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Judge Allows Widow's $8 Million FINRA Arbitration Claim Against JPMorgan to Proceed

October 6th, 2025 at 2:14 PM
JPMorgan Chase & Co. failed in its effort to block an 85-year-old widow from pursuing claims in FINRA arbitration over allegations that the bank failed to prevent her son from siphoning more than $8 million from her accounts.
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SEC Charges Pennsylvania Man in $400 Million Ponzi Scheme

October 3rd, 2025 at 2:10 PM
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Daryl F. Heller of Pennsylvania, along with his companies Prestige Investment Group, LLC, and Paramount Management Group, LLC, for operating a Ponzi scheme that caused investor losses of roughly $400 million.
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Mercer Advisors Expands Westward with Two RIA Acquisitions

October 2nd, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Mercer Advisors has strengthened its presence in the West by acquiring two registered investment advisory firms with offices in Oregon, Idaho, and Southern California.
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New Jersey Investor Sues Advisor and Insurers Over Premium Financing Losses

October 1st, 2025 at 1:54 PM
A New Jersey resident has filed suit against a financial advisor, his firm, two insurance companies, and other parties over losses tied to a premium financing arrangement for life insurance.  
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SEC Fines Vanguard $19.5 Million for Disclosure Failures in Advisor Compensation Program

September 30th, 2025 at 3:06 PM
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has censured and fined Vanguard Advisers $19.5 million, alleging the firm failed to properly disclose financial incentives tied to its Personal Advisor Services (PAS) program.
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SEC Unveils Ambitious Regulatory Agenda

September 29th, 2025 at 3:03 PM
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has released its Spring 2025 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, signaling a sweeping shift in rulemaking priorities.
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SEC and DOJ Target $770 Million Prestige Funds Ponzi Scheme

September 26th, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Federal regulators say thousands of investors may have lost money in what they allege was a massive Ponzi scheme tied to the Prestige Funds and WF Velocity Funds.
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FINRA Suspends Spartan Capital Broker for Excessive Trading Violations

September 25th, 2025 at 3:53 PM
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has suspended Joseph Kelly, a broker at Spartan Capital Securities, for nine months and ordered him to pay a $10,000 fine and $69,830 in restitution.
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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

November 7, 2025
FINRA Suspends Former Wells Fargo Broker Over Unapproved Real Estate Venture

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) suspended former Wells Fargo broker George J. Cairnes for four months and fined him $25,000 for engaging in unapproved real estate outside business activity, according to a settlement letter issued.

November 6, 2025
Former Ameriprise Broker Ordered to Pay $2.2 Million for Elder Exploitation

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration panel has ordered Eric A. Dupre to pay nearly $2.2 million in damages to his former firm and two customers following allegations of theft and elder exploitation.

November 5, 2025
Former Wells Fargo Representative Suspended for Unauthorized Texting and Obstruction

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has suspended former Wells Fargo representative Eyan M. Townsend for one year and fined him $10,000 for using personal text messages to conduct business and attempting to obstruct an internal investigation by deleting those communications.