SEC News

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Investor Advocate Rick A. Fleming will depart the agency after more than eight years of service. Mr. Fleming was appointed in February 2014 to be the first director of the Office of the Investor Advocate at the Commission. “We thank Rick for building the Office of the […]

The Securities and Exchange Commission today proposed amendments to rules and reporting forms to promote consistent, comparable, and reliable information for investors concerning funds’ and advisers’ incorporation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. The proposed changes would apply to certain registered investment advisers, advisers exempt from registration, registered investment companies, and business development companies. […]

The Securities and Exchange Commission today proposed amendments to enhance and modernize the Investment Company Act “Names Rule” to address changes in the fund industry and compliance practices that have developed in the approximately 20 years since the rule was adopted. A fund’s name is an important marketing tool and can have a significant impact […]

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced fraud charges against Detroit-based EIA All Weather Alpha Fund I Partners LLC (EIA) and its sole owner, Andrew M. Middlebrooks, for allegedly engaging in a multi-year scheme that included the misappropriation and misuse of investors’ funds. To halt this alleged ongoing fraud, the SEC sought, and on May […]

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced settled charges against RiverSource Distributors Inc. for improper switching or replacing of variable annuities. This is the SEC’s first-ever enforcement proceeding under Section 11 of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Section 11 of the Investment Company Act prohibits any principal underwriter from making or causing to be […]

The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged broker-dealer TradeZero America Inc., and its co-founder, Daniel Pipitone, with falsely stating to the firm’s customers that they didn’t restrict the customers’ purchases of meme stocks when in fact they did. In late January 2021, many brokers restricted investors’ ability to purchase a group of highly volatile stocks […]

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the appointment of Richard R. Best as Director of the Division of Examinations, effective immediately. He has served as the Division’s acting director since March 23, 2022. “I’ve valued Rich’s judgment and counsel since I joined the SEC, and I’m thrilled he’s agreed to lead the Division of […]

The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc. for misstatements and omissions about Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations in making investment decisions for certain mutual funds that it managed. To settle the charges, BNY Mellon Investment Adviser agreed to pay a $1.5 million penalty. The SEC’s order finds that, from July […]

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against Wells Fargo Advisors for failing to file at least 34 Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) in a timely manner between April 2017 and October 2021. Wells Fargo Advisors, the St. Louis-based broker-dealer, has agreed to pay $7 million to settle the charges. According to the SEC’s order, […]

Allianz Global Investors Agrees to Pay More Than $1 Billion to Resolve SEC Charges The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today charged Allianz Global Investors U.S. LLC (AGI US) and three former senior portfolio managers with a massive fraudulent scheme that concealed the immense downside risks of a complex options trading strategy they called “Structured […]