Oppenheimer & Co. Fined $500,000 by FINRA for Supervisory Lapses

Posted on June 7th, 2024 at 11:27 AM
Oppenheimer & Co. Fined $500,000 by FINRA for Supervisory Lapses

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

Oppenheimer & Co. has agreed to a $500,000 fine to settle allegations made by FINRA regarding inadequate supervision of certain trades conducted by its advisors directly with fund companies on behalf of customers.

As reported by AdvisorHub, between 2012 and 2017, Oppenheimer failed to appropriately analyze approximately 490,000 transactions where advisors placed orders directly with mutual fund providers, affecting over 14,000 customers. Those trades were not subjected to Oppenheimer's reporting system, which is utilized to identify potential sales practice violations.

Furthermore, Oppenheimer neglected to ensure that its advisors collected essential customer profile information necessary for assessing the suitability of recommendations. This failure violated FINRA's Rule 3110 on reasonable supervision, Rule 4511 concerning accurate preservation of books and records, and Rule 2010, which mandates high standards of commercial honor.

Following the violations, AdvisorHub reports that Oppenheimer revised its policies to prohibit direct transactions with mutual fund companies unless a corresponding account has been established at the firm. Additionally, the firm implemented progressive discipline measures for brokers who fail to adhere to these new account application procedures.

 

Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in insecurities, employment, transition, regulatory, and disciplinary matters.

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, finra

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

I am grateful to have found an outstanding law firm that specializes in securities matters. My lawyers were extremely knowledgeable, diligent, and are skilled litigators. No stone was left upturned. As a result of their experience and tenacity, the arbitration proceeding was dismissed in my favor.

Michael E.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

December 19, 2024
GPB Capital Investors See Progress as Court Confirms Receivership

In a significant development for investors in GPB Capital Holdings, the private equity firm will move into receivership following a prolonged legal battle.

December 18, 2024
SEC Fines Cantor Fitzgerald $6.75 Million for Misleading SPAC Investors

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. with causing two special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) under its control to make misleading statements to investors before their initial public offerings (IPOs). 

December 17, 2024
Former Western Asset Management Co-CIO Charged with Fraud for Cherry-picking Trades

The SEC recently charged Ken Leech, former Co-CIO of Western Asset Management, with fraud.