Investment Adviser Overcharges Clients by $367,000, Charged with Fraud WHAT HAPPENED? On May 28, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged an investment adviser with overcharging clients by at least $367,000. In 2015 and 2016, Stephen Brandon Anderson, owner and operator of River Source Wealth Management, charged a majority [...]
SEC to Increase Exam Funding for Fiscal Year 2019 WHAT HAPPENED? On Monday, February 12th, the Securities and Exchange Commission released its budget for the 2019 fiscal year. The SEC proposed a 3.5 percent increase from the 2018 fiscal budget, for a total of $1.658 billion. The budget includes [...]
SEC Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations Announces 2018 Examination Priorities WHAT HAPPENED? On February 7, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) announced the 2018 examination priorities. The exam priorities are published to improve compliance, prevent fraud, monitor risk and implement policy. [...]
SEC Charges Purported Hedge Fund Manager with Fraud WHAT HAPPENED? On February 2nd, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission pressed charges against a hedge fund manager for fraud, ending an ongoing scheme. The SEC claims that since 2014 or earlier, the adviser collectively raised more than $5.3 million from [...]
SEC Demands a Jury Trial for Two Investment Advisers Representatives Charged with Fraud WHAT HAPPENED? On January 31st, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ordered a trial by jury to be held for alleged claims against two investment adviser representatives (advisers) on charged with fraudulent and misleading use [...]
Private Equity Firm Charged with Failure to Disclose Accelerated Portfolio Monitoring Fees WHAT HAPPENED? On December 21, 2017, the SEC charged a private equity fund adviser (“Respondent”) with failing to adequately disclose accelerated portfolio monitoring fees. Between 2013 and 2015, Respondent accelerated the payment of future monitoring fees from [...]
SEC Charges Stock Trader with Insider Trading WHAT HAPPENED? On December 11, 2017, the SEC charged a stock trader (“Defendant”) with generating over $1 million in illegal insider trading profits. Defendant collaborated with four former colleagues, posing as portfolio managers, to persuade investment bankers to share nonpublic information regarding [...]
Adviser Charged with Defrauding Clients WHAT HAPPENED? On December 11, 2017, the SEC charged a dually registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, and its principal (collectively, the “Defendant”), with defrauding its clients and receiving $780,000 in ill-gotten gains. Over the course of several years, Defendant repeatedly purchased securities from underwriters [...]
Division of Enforcement Releases Annual Report WHAT HAPPENED? On November 15, 2017, the SEC’s Division of Enforcement released its annual report for Fiscal Year 2017 (“FY 2017”). The report explains how the Division of Enforcement’s decision making throughout FY 2017 was guided by the following five principles: Focus on [...]
SEC Charges Unregistered Fund Manager WHAT HAPPENED? On October 26, 2017, the SEC charged an unregistered investment adviser and its principals (“collectively, the “Respondents”) with engaging a private fund it managed (the “Fund”) in conflicted transactions without providing disclosure to the investors. The conflicted transactions that Respondents performed includes [...]