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

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

Beth and Steve K.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

September 11, 2025
Montana Federal Judge Allows Family's Premium Financing Claims to Proceed

A federal judge in Montana has allowed a family to move forward with negligence, fraud, and unjust enrichment claims tied to a premium-financed life insurance arrangement valued at $67.5 million.

September 10, 2025
Arizona Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi-Style Fraud

An Arizona man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for running a Ponzi-style investment scheme that defrauded more than 100 victims out of millions of dollars, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.

September 9, 2025
Easterly ROCMuni Fund's Steep Decline Spurs Potential Investor Lawsuits

The Easterly ROCMuni High Income Municipal Bond Fund (RMHIX) has suffered a dramatic collapse, losing nearly half its value in June and now trading at a net asset value (NAV) of $2.95 per share.