SEC Imposes Fines on Baird and Interactive Brokers in Ongoing Texting Probe

Posted on October 26th, 2023 at 11:49 AM
SEC Imposes Fines on Baird and Interactive Brokers in Ongoing Texting Probe

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law 

Several Wall Street firms, including prominent brokerages like Interactive Brokers Group Inc. and Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc., have collectively agreed to pay tens of millions of dollars in penalties to U.S. regulators due to their employees' use of unmonitored communication channels during work.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that these firms violated regulations mandating the retention of employees' business communications. As a result, the companies have agreed to pay the SEC $79 million in penalties.

According to the SEC, Interactive Brokers and one of its affiliates will pay $35 million, and Baird will pay $15 million. William Blair &Co., Nuveen, Fifth Third Bancorp and Perella Weinberg Partners have also agreed to pay smaller multimillion-dollar fines. Interactive Brokers has also committed to paying $20 million to settle a probe by the CFTC regarding its communication practices.

The SEC's investigation, which initially targeted the use of chat apps by trading desks, has expanded to include all communication tools in the finance sector that fail to maintain proper records. Hedge funds and private equity firms are also under investigation for their use of personal communication apps. AdvisorHub reports that although many firms have agreed to settlements, there is growing resistance within the industry against the increased scrutiny of recordkeeping.

 

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, sec

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

I just wanted to say thanks again for preparing and executing my case in such a professional manner. It was a pleasure to watch two professionals take such pride in their work, as well as becoming personally in tune with your client (Me). I would personally recommend you and your firm to anyone.

John O.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

February 4, 2026
Investor Redemptions Rise in Nontraded BDCs Amid Credit Concerns

Financial advisors and their clients have increased redemptions from nontraded business development companies (BDCs) following a series of high-profile corporate bankruptcies, according to InvestmentNews. The surge highlights growing investor concern about liquidity and credit exposure within these high-yield but often risky investment ...

February 3, 2026
FINRA Accuses Spartan Capital of Widespread Churning That Allegedly Harmed Customers

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has brought a disciplinary complaint against Spartan Capital Securities and several senior leaders of the New York City–based broker-dealer, alleging that the firm facilitated excessive trading that generated millions of dollars in revenue while causing substantial losses to customers.

February 2, 2026
California Investors Allege Unsuitable DST Recommendations in FINRA Arbitration

Two investors from the San Francisco Bay Area have filed a FINRA arbitration claim against brokerage firm Realized Financial and its financial advisors.