Tr?id=566623520170033&ev=PageView&noscript=1

State Regulators Fine Five Major Broker-Dealers Nearly $10 Million for Excessive Commission Charges

Posted on July 1st, 2025 at 3:01 PM
State Regulators Fine Five Major Broker-Dealers Nearly $10 Million for Excessive Commission Charges

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

A coalition of state securities regulators has ordered five broker-dealers — including Edward Jones, LPL Financial, RBC, Stifel, and TD Ameritrade — to pay almost $9.9 million in penalties for overcharging customers on small-value trades. As reported by AdvisorHub, the enforcement action highlights widespread pricing issues that persisted over a five-year period.

According to Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin, the firms collectively overcharged clients by approximately $19 million. The alleged misconduct involved setting minimum commission charges as high as $95 per trade, regardless of the trade’s size. According to regulators such practices violate longstanding industry standards. Most state securities laws prohibit commissions exceeding 5 percent of a trade’s principal value.

AdvisorHub also reports that the North American Securities Administrators Association (“NASAA”) Enforcement Chair Amanda Senn called the settlements a crucial reminder for firms to stay vigilant about their pricing policies and ensure fair treatment of customers.

All five broker-dealers resolved the matter through a settlement without admitting or denying the regulators’ findings. Most of the settlement funds will go toward client restitution, with affected investors receiving reimbursement plus a 6 percent annual interest rate. According to AdvisorHub the enforcement effort was led by regulators from Alabama, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Texas, and Washington, with additional coordination from NASAA. At least 21 other states are expected to join the settlement.

This case follows a separate action earlier this year, where Edward Jones agreed to pay $17 million to settle charges from 14 state regulators over improper commission charges on mutual fund sales, according to AdvisorHub.

 

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next
Quotes Bigger

I am grateful to have found an outstanding law firm that specializes in securities matters. My lawyers were extremely knowledgeable, diligent, and are skilled litigators. No stone was left upturned. As a result of their experience and tenacity, the arbitration proceeding was dismissed in my favor.

Michael E.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1794596228 Law
November 13, 2026
Snowden Lane Partners to Pay $364,590 Over Undisclosed Conflicts and Misleading Client Agreements

Snowden Lane Partners will pay $364,590 to settle Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charges that it failed to disclose compensation arrangements tied to client cash sweep investments and margin loans.

1794509056 Law
November 12, 2026
SEC Issues its 2026 Enforcement Report

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed 348 enforcement actions in fiscal year 2026, including 235 standalone actions and 113 follow-on administrative proceedings.

1794418115 Law
November 11, 2026
Morgan Stanley Develops AI Super Agents to Build Portfolios and Manage Client Accounts

Morgan Stanley is developing AI-powered "super agents" that could eventually build investment portfolios, manage client accounts and handle many of the routine tasks that wealth management professionals perform today.