FINRA Fines Ameriprise Financial Services $1.2 Million for Broker Misconduct

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently fined Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. $850,000 for failing to detect the conversion of more than $370,000 from five customer brokerage accounts by one of its registered representatives. Ameriprise was accused of failing to adequately investigate red flags associated with nine third-party wire requests, including that the funds were being transmitted to a business bank account associated with one of Ameriprise’s representatives. This went on for two years before the misconduct was discovered. Ameriprise then paid restitution, plus interest and related fees and the representative in question was barred in June 2014.

FINRA found that from October 2011 until September 2013, a registered representative of the firm took more than $370,000 from five Ameriprise customers. The representative then submitted request forms to transfer funds from the customers’ brokerage accounts into the business bank account of the office in which he worked, allegedly for the intended purpose of making investments. He then took funds from that account in order to pay himself additional salary and commissions. This against securities rules and regulation, and, because Ameriprise allowed the transgressions to take place, the firm may be responsible for losses. If you experienced investment losses with Ameriprise Financial, please call our law firm in Chicago at 312-332-4200 today to speak with an attorney about your options. The call is free with no obligation. We sue firms such as Ameriprise in the FINRA arbitration process on a contingency fee basis, which means we don’t make money unless you recover yours.