UBS Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Cash Sweep Programs
From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law
UBS has been hit with a class action lawsuit over its cash sweep programs, joining other major firms like LPL, Wells Fargo, and Ameriprise, which have faced similar litigation. FinancialPlanning reports that the suit claims UBS mishandled client funds in retail brokerage accounts managed on an advisory basis between 2013 and 2023.
Cash sweep programs, a common feature at many financial firms, involve transferring excess cash from clients’ accounts into interest-bearing accounts at various banks. The lawsuit alleges that UBS prioritized its financial gain by steering client funds into its cash sweep programs, where interest rates were neither competitive nor in compliance with the firm’s legal duties.
The complaint highlights that UBS offered several cash sweep options tailored to different types of accounts, such as trusts, retirement advisory accounts, and non-retirement retail accounts. However, those options provided annual percentage yields significantly lower than those offered by competitors like Vanguard and Fidelity. Unlike some firms that automatically sweep uninvested cash into high-yield money market funds, UBS allegedly limited these options for retail clients.
Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory, and disciplinary matters.
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