Enforcement Actions
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
CASES OF NOTE
2009
NOTE: Stipulations of Fact and Consent to Penalty (SFC); Offers of Settlement (OS); and Letters of Acceptance Waiver, and Consent (AWC) are entered into by Respondents without admitting or denying the allegations, but consent is given to the described sanctions & to the entry of findings. Additionally, for AWCs, if FINRA has reason to believe a violation has occurred and the member or associated person does not dispute the violation, FINRA may prepare and request that the member or associated person execute a letter accepting a finding of violation, consenting to the imposition of sanctions, and agreeing to waive such member's or associated person's right to a hearing before a hearing panel, and any right of appeal to the National Adjudicatory Council, the SEC, and the courts, or to otherwise challenge the validity of the letter, if the letter is accepted. The letter shall describe the act or practice engaged in or omitted, the rule, regulation, or statutory provision violated, and the sanction or sanctions to be imposed.
February 2009 - View all for this month
Diane Jo Savage
AWC/2007011172601
Savage altered a subscription agreement by signing a customer’s initials on the agreement after the customer had failed to initial one section of the agreement. Savage’s firm had both a specific policy prohibiting the alteration of subscription agreements and a more general policy requiring that firm records be truthful and accurate. Savage acknowledged that she was aware of the firm’s policy against alteration of documents and knew it was a violation when she initialed the paperwork on the customer’s behalf. 
Diane Jo Savage: Fined $5,000; Suspended 30 days in all capacities
Bill Singer's Comment
I have a love-hate relationship with these "initial" cases because, on the one hand, I understand that typically (but not always) the registered person is simply seeking expediency and trying to avoid bothering a client with a mere clerical/administrative matter; on the other hand, I fully appreciate, understand, and support to purpose of the rule because it is that parenthetical "but not always" that can cause serious disaster. Nonetheless, kudos to FINRA for apparently weighing all the issues here and imposing a modest but fair fine and suspension.
Enforcement Actions
Search in Cases of Note : FINRA
Months
 
Cases of Note : FINRA Archive
Tags