Eccleston Law Blog

FINRA Fines and Suspends Merrill Lynch Advisor Over Unauthorized Role as Estate Executor

February 1st, 2024 at 1:26 PM
Frederick R. Watson, a veteran advisor with 37 years of experience at Merrill Lynch, has been fined $10,000 and suspended for four months by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
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SEC Raises Concerns Over Arbitration Clauses in Investment Advisory Agreements

January 31st, 2024 at 1:17 PM
A cautionary note has been sounded by an investor advocacy group operating within the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), signaling potential fiduciary duty violations by registered investment advisers employing contract clauses to steer client disputes into arbitration.
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Financial Advisors Set to Boost Client Allocations to Alternative Assets in 2024

January 30th, 2024 at 2:29 PM
A recent independent survey conducted by CAIS and Mercer reveals that 62 percent of financial advisors currently allocate between 6 percent and 25 percent of clients' portfolios to alternative asset classes.
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Former JPMorgan Advisor Agrees to Injunction Amid Solicitation Allegations

January 29th, 2024 at 1:06 PM
A former JPMorgan advisor sued last week, in connection with his transition to an independent practice with Kestra Private Wealth Services, has agreed to a stipulated injunction prohibiting him from soliciting his former customers.
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JPMorgan Pursues Legal Action Against Advisor Who Moved to Wells Fargo

January 26th, 2024 at 1:21 PM
JPMorgan Chase & Co. has initiated legal action, seeking a temporary restraining order against former employee Jeffry Neal Carel. 
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SEC Charges Investment Advisor Justin Murphy for $3.4 Million Investor Funds Misappropriation

January 25th, 2024 at 10:37 AM
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Justin Murphy and his investment management firm, Mara Investments, LLC, for fraudulent misappropriation of approximately $3.4 million of investor assets.
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FINRA Bars New Jersey Advisor Over Alleged Securities Violations and Refusal to Testify

January 24th, 2024 at 2:26 PM
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has barred New Jersey advisor Anthony J. Cantone for refusing to provide testimony in an investigation into his business practices.
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Merrill Edge Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Interest Rates

January 23rd, 2024 at 3:20 PM
Merrill Edge, the online brokerage and advisory arm of Merrill Lynch, is facing a class action lawsuit.
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SEC Greenlights Spot Bitcoin ETFs

January 22nd, 2024 at 11:57 AM
In a groundbreaking move, U.S. regulators have approved the first exchange-traded funds (ETFs) directly investing in Bitcoin.
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Salt Lake City Wells Fargo Advisor Accepts FINRA Bar Following SEC Settlement

January 19th, 2024 at 1:30 PM
Louis P. Goff, a former Wells Fargo Advisors broker in Salt Lake City, Utah, has agreed to a bar from the brokerage industry imposed by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
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LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

January 12, 2026
Florida Man Indicted in $36 Million Investment Fraud Scheme

According to news sources, federal prosecutors allege that a Florida man orchestrated a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that funded a luxury lifestyle built on stolen investor money, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

January 9, 2026
FINRA Sanctions Former Wells Fargo Advisor for Profile Falsification and Unauthorized Trading

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) disciplined former Wells Fargo Advisors broker James E. Holmes III for misconduct tied to his falsifying customer information and unauthorized trading.

January 8, 2026
Georgia Investment Advisor Pleads Guilty to Ponzi Scheme

A former Georgia investment adviser has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after federal prosecutors accused his firm of operating a multiyear Ponzi scheme that cost investors millions of dollars, as reported by Financial Advisor News.