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

Wells Fargo Under SEC Scrutiny for Cash Sweep Programs

Posted on November 28th, 2023 at 9:47 AM
Wells Fargo Under SEC Scrutiny for Cash Sweep Programs

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating Wells Fargo & Company over cash sweep options provided to investment advisory clients. The investigation focuses on the cash sweep options offered to clients when they open their accounts.

According to AdvisorHub, Wells Fargo Advisors offers three cash sweep options for client funds in advisory accounts. The options include two that place cash in interest-bearing bank accounts and a third that invests in money market funds. Upon opening an account, clients are automatically assigned to a default option based on the account type and advisory program they are using.

Currently, Wells Fargo's bank deposit sweep rates vary based on assets, starting at 0.15 percent for households with less than $1 million and reaching a peak of 1.30 percent for those holding $20 million or more. The Money Market Fund Sweep is typically reserved for government accounts, insurance companies, banks, and credit unions. It invests in the AllSpring Government Money Market Fund, which had a 4.93 percent yield as of October 31.

In a July Form ADV filing, Wells Fargo acknowledged a conflict of interest. The bank receives payments from affiliated banks for client cash, but those payments decrease as it pays clients higher interest rates. According to the Form ADV brochure, the company chooses to include those options as default Cash Sweep options in advisory programs instead of selecting other cash investment options that generate financial benefits and typically result in higher interest rate payments.

 

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
Quotes Bigger

Jim, Stephany and the whole team were a God send.  We felt like we were put into a situation where we had no advocate. Jim’s team came in with a strong, well laid out strategy on how to get our story heard. Where our outside compliance company had no ability to help, our Broker Dealer was impenitent, and the regulators were aggressive pursuing vague rules, Jim came like a barricade against an assault we did not understand. Though you pay member dues to be affiliated with FINRA and a B/D, you have no voice. The only thing that is truly heard in this un-level playing field is a bulldog’s bark like Jim’s. I would encourage anyone to call Jim and his team to find a real ally in the tough and complicated world of securities regulation. They are truly the best.

Greg P.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1782497406 Law
June 26, 2026
FINRA Seeks to Make Remote Inspection Program Permanent

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is seeking approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to make its pandemic-era remote inspections program permanent before the current pilot is scheduled to expire in June 2027, according to AdvisorHub and FINRA's summary of its recent Board of Governors meeting.

1782400213 Law
June 25, 2026
SEC Alleges Illinois Investment Adviser Misappropriated Investor Funds and Concealed Losses

According to a litigation release published on SEC.gov, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged John Sterling Myers and his firms, Sterling Capital, LLC and Sterling Capital Management, LLC, with orchestrating a multi-year fraud involving investor funds held in a pooled investment vehicle.

1782320106 Law
June 24, 2026
FINRA Suspends Former Broker Over Undisclosed Business Activities, Annuity Recommendation, and Customer Data Violations

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has suspended former registered representative Clayton K.