LARA to receive $499,000 in Multi-State Settlement with LPL Financial Involving Unregistered, Non-Exempt Securities

Media Contact: LARA Communications 517-373-9280
Email: mediainfo@michigan.gov

May 2, 2018 – The Corporations, Securities, and Commercial Licensing Bureau (CSCL) within the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs today announced that the agency will participate in a $26 million settlement with LPL Financial LLC to repurchase from investors certain securities sold since October 2006 and to pay civil penalties of $499,000 to CSCL upon entering a final order. The funds will be deposited into CSCL’s Investor Education and Training Fund, which is used for the education and training of Michigan residents in matters concerning securities laws and investment issues.

“This settlement sends a strong message that states hold firms accountable and continue to serve a vital role in protecting investors,” CSCL Director Julia Dale said.

The settlement stems from an investigation led by state securities regulators from Alabama and Massachusetts regarding the failure to establish and maintain reasonable policies and procedures to prevent the sale of unregistered, non-exempt securities by LPL to its customers.

In July 2017, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), of which CSCL is a member, established a task force with Massachusetts and Alabama as lead states to investigate LPL’s failure to establish and maintain reasonable policies and procedures to prevent the sale of unregistered, non-exempt securities by LPL to its customers. NASAA President Joseph P. Borg said LPL fully cooperated with the NASAA task force.

The investigation focused on LPL’s retention, use, and subsequent cancellation of certain third-party services integral to LPL’s compliance with state securities registration requirements. Investigators also looked into certain other legacy deficiencies within LPL’s compliance structure related to LPL’s controls, monitoring and reporting tools, and escalation protocols regarding the firm’s response to significant compliance issues.

State securities regulators concluded that LPL offered and sold unregistered, non-exempt securities and failed to reasonably supervise the flow of information to ensure full and proper compliance with state securities registration requirements.

While no evidence was found of willful, reckless, or fraudulent conduct by LPL, investigators did find that the firm failed to maintain adequate systems to reasonably supervise agents, staff, and employees to prevent the sale of unregistered, non-exempt securities. State investigators also determined that LPL failed to maintain books and records necessary to ensure full and proper compliance with state securities registration requirements; and failed to conduct appropriate and necessary due diligence regarding the retention, use, and subsequent cancelation of certain third-party services critical for compliance with state securities registration requirements.

LPL also was found to have acted negligently in canceling certain third-party services critical for compliance with state securities registration requirements; failed to supervise agents, staff, and employees in the performance of duties with respect to systems operation, process, and checks and balances to ensure compliance with state securities registration statutes, rules, and regulations; and failed to invest sufficient and appropriate resources in personnel, expertise, systems, and operations to adequately comply with state securities registration statutes, rules, and regulations.

In addition to a civil penalty, the settlement calls for LPL to offer to repurchase from investors securities held in LPL accounts determined to have been unregistered, non-exempt equity or fixed-income securities sold since October 1, 2006. Each offer also shall include 3 percent simple interest per year. Other requirements were agreed upon for investors holding affected securities sold or transferred from an LPL account.

As part of the settlement, LPL also agreed to a “top-to-bottom” review of the integration of new securities products to assess this firm’s ability to comply with all state securities registration requirements, and all operations and procedures in connection with state registration requirements, that apply to the offer and sale of that product. The firm also agreed to a similar review of its vendor service protocols to ensure processes are in place for identification and management of critical services used to ensure compliance with state securities laws.

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