Former Wells Fargo Compliance Officer Charged with Willfully Aiding and Abetting
On October 15 The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) reported enforcement against a former Wells Fargo Advisors’ (“Wells Fargo”) compliance officer. Purportedly, Judy K. Wolf altered a document before submitting it to the SEC during an investigation. The SEC’s order … Read More
Auditors are the Focus of SEC Scrutiny
On October 24, The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) sanctioned a south-Florida auditing firm for violating federal laws and regulations requiring lead audit partners to periodically rotate off their audit engagements with a publicly-traded company in order to preserve the … Read More
Compliance Failures Cost Firm $15 Million
On September 23, 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) charged Barclays Capital Inc. (“Barclays”), a global banking services firm, with “failing to maintain an adequate internal compliance system.” After acquiring Lehman Brothers, a financial services firm that filed for … Read More
Investment Newsletter Fraud
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) Office of Investor Education and Advocacy recently released Investor Alert: Investment Newsletters Used as Tool for Fraud to assist investors in avoiding cleverly disguised schemes in investment newsletters. Promoting stocks without disclosing compensations … Read More
The Office of the Investor Advocate Speaks on “User Fees” from RIAs
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently created the Office of the Investor Advocate “to ensure that the concerns of investors are appropriately considered as decisions are being made and policies are being adopted at the Commission, at self-regulatory organizations, … Read More
Soft Dollar Arrangements Once Again Headline SEC Enforcement Efforts
A San Diego-based investment firm and two of the firm’s advisers have been charged with misusing soft dollars and “cherry-picking” more favorable trades to certain clients. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Administrative Law Judge Brenda P. Murray ruled that the … Read More
SEC Commissioner Addresses Board of Directors’ Cybersecurity Responsibilities
Luis A. Aguilar, a Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), spoke at the New York Stock Exchange’s Governance Services department “Cyber Risks and the Boardroom” Conference on June 10, 2014. Aguilar spoke regarding the increasing risks associated with … Read More
MSRB’s New Price Discovery Tool
The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (“MSRB”) launched a new tool this past June that assists investors in determining the price of a municipal bond. The new price discovery tool can be accessed via the Electronic Municipal Market Access (“EMMA”) website. … Read More