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SEC Charges Ameriprise With Overcharging Retirement Account Customers for Mutual Fund Shares

February 28, 2018

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that a Minnesota-based broker-dealer and investment adviser has agreed to settle charges for recommending and selling higher-fee mutual fund shares to retail retirement account customers and for failing to provide sales charge waivers. According to the SEC’s order, Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. disadvantaged certain retirement account customers by […]

Western International Securities, Inc. Fined $521,098 in Connection With Sales of Non-Traditional ETFs

On February 28, 2018, FINRA Enforcement entered into a settlement via Acceptance, Waiver and Consent (“AWC”) with Respondent Western International Securities, Inc. (“WIS”) (CRD# 39262). Specifically, without admitting or denying any wrongdoing — WIS consented to paying a fine of $521,908, in addition to restitution to certain investors in the amount of $125,000 — in […]

Larry Martin Boggs – Ameriprise – Dallas, Texas

February 25, 2018

An AWC was issued in which Boggs was barred from association with any FINRA member firm in all capacities. Without admitting or denying the findings, Boggs consented to the sanction and to the entry of findings that he engaged in excessive and unsuitable trading in customer accounts. The findings stated that Boggs used his control […]

William Fitzgerald White – San Diego, California

February 2, 2018

An Offer of Settlement was issued in which White was fined $12,500 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in all capacities for 16 months. Without admitting or denying the allegations, White consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he willfully failed to timely amend his Uniform Application for Securities […]

Sandeep Varma – Encinitas, California

January 22, 2018

An AWC was issued in which Varma was fined $15,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member firm in all capacities for 10 business days. Without admitting or denying the findings, Varma consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he used a seminar slide presentation promoting a complex estate planning […]