Articles Posted in FINRA NAC

When settling a FINRA investigation, the Staff drafts a letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (AWC) setting forth the terms of the settlement. In the AWC, FINRA routinely demands the settling party consent to the following restraint on speech: “Respondent may not take any action or permit to be made any public statement, including in…

FINRA’s enforcement program is big business. In 2008, FINRA levied fines totaling $28 million. By 2016, that number jumped to $176 million. In 2008, FINRA ordered restitution payments to investors totaling $6 million. By 2015, that number jumped to $96 million. Each year, FINRA initiates approximately 1,500 disciplinary actions against member firms and employees. FINRA’s…

In its quest for investor protection and market integrity, FINRA diligently seeks out firm representatives who are in violation of its strict rules. Recently, the regulatory authority decided to bar California-based Jim Jinkook Seol from the industry. A former employee of Ameriprise Financial Inc.; Seol was found to have sold $100 million worth of EB-5,…

FINRA issued its summary of disciplinary actions reported for June 2012. Certain actions are noteworthy and are indicative of regulatory trends effecting broker-dealers and registered representatives. Herskovits PLLC comments on the following regulatory actions: Net Cap Violations Freedom Investors Corp. (CRD #23714, Brookfield, Wisconsin), Joel ReidBlumenschein (CRD #1372334, Registered Principal, Pewaukee, Washington) and Gary Lee…