High-frequency trading — a process in which computer algorithms are used to trade shares, foreign exchange and derivatives at superfast speeds — earns profits by extricating tiny price differences thousands of times a day, across trading platforms. The algorithms being used are treated by their owners as top secret; in…
Securities arbitration for Frankfort, Ill., trader Robert T. Bunda ended with a sixteen-month suspension and a total penalty of $346,740. The payment order includes $171,740 in restitution and a $175,000 fine. The restitution total is equal to his total personal gain that resulted from his misconduct. The Financial Industry Regulatory…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced on August 9, 2011, its decision to fine Citigroup Global Markets Inc. for failing to supervise one of its former registered sales assistants, Tamara Moon. Moon was employed at Citigroup’s Palo Alto, California, office and misappropriated a total of $749,978 over 8 years.…
Securities arbitration ended with a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announcement on July 26 that SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Inc. and SunTrust Investment Services Inc. will pay a total of $5 million for “violations related to the sale of auction rate securities (ARS).” $400,000 of the $5 million fine will be…
Recent Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) securities arbitration resulted in the order for units of Merrill Lynch to pay compensatory damages to Staton Family Investments Inc. totaling $8.1 million for breach of fiduciary duty. Staton Family Investments and Daniel Staton accused Merrill Lynch of securities fraud, negligence, breach of contract…
Janney Montgomery Scott, a broker-dealer from Philadelphia, and his firm, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, will pay $850,000 in his settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for not taking proper precautions to prevent insider trading. According to securities regulators, Janney didn’t establish proper policies and, in some cases, didn’t enforce…
William Bailey, a former broker for NEXT Financial Group Inc., was suspended for two years in Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) securities arbitration. Bailey’s official cause for suspension, according to FINRA, was “unsuitable and excessive trading of mutual funds and variable annuities.” In addition, Bailey was charged with discretionary trading…
Securities arbitration ended this month for a claim made by three clients against Neuberger Berman. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) panel ruled on July 15th that Neuberger Berman must pay $5 million in damages, $450,000 in (3 percent annual) interest and $7,500 in legal fees. Investment attorneys stated that…
While stock broker fraud is always a despicable crime to the victims of the fraud, the case of Joshua Gould's broker misconduct seems infinitely worse for the close relationship between victim and perpetrator, as well as the vulnerable nature of other investors. Gould, a former independent broker for Woodbury Financial…
On July 5, a securities arbitration claim was filed against James J. Albright Jr. and what was formerly known as AIG Financial Advisors. Claims were made on behalf of eight individuals against Albright and what is now Sagepoint Financial Inc., but more slighted customers are expected to come forward. The…