SEC Probes Financial Advisory Firms’ Use of WhatsApp and Other Messaging Platforms

Posted on October 27th, 2022 at 2:51 PM
SEC Probes Financial Advisory Firms’ Use of WhatsApp and Other Messaging Platforms

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is investing whether financial advisory firms used WhatsApp or other outside messaging platforms to communicate with clients.

The SEC has recently sent letters to several financial advisory firms inquiring into their record-keeping and employees’ communication practices, according to sources familiar with the matter. Specifically, the SEC is requesting information as to which devices and apps firms permit for official communications as well as whether the firms are adequately preserving electronic records of communications on those platforms.

Financial advisory firms are required to regularly monitor business communications in order to flag improper conduct, and compliance with this rule has already become more difficult as numerous employees continue to work remotely. The SEC has already fined J.P. Morgan, Bank of America, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs a combined $2 billion due to allegations that some of their employees utilized improper platforms to conduct business.

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, advisors, law, sec

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

Thank you so very much for your guidance, patience, and expertise.

Beth and Steve K.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

November 26, 2025
Former GWG Chair Charged in Alleged $150 Million Fraud Scheme as Investor Losses Mount

Federal prosecutors have intensified scrutiny of the long-running collapse of GWG Holdings Inc., unveiling criminal charges against Bradley Heppner, the former chair of both GWG and Beneficient.

November 25, 2025
Financial Advisor Accepts FINRA Bar Amidst Investigation into Alleged Misappropriation

A financial advisor affiliated with a credit union connected to Raymond James Financial agreed to an industry bar after declining to cooperate with FINRA’s investigation into allegations that he misappropriated client funds.

November 24, 2025
Kyle Busch Alleges Considerable Losses in Indexed Universal Life (IUL) Scheme

Kyle Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, and his wife Samantha announced that they lost more than $8.6 million in what they describe as a “devastating financial scheme” involving an Indexed Universal Life (IUL) insurance policy.