WFG Investments Fined by FINRA for Failure to Supervise Unsuitable Trading

WFG Investments, Inc. has submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC) in which it has been fined $150,000 by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for failing to supervise its registered representative’s unsuitable trading despite numerous red flags. WFG Investments is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and currently has approximately 237 registered representatives and 118 branch offices.  FINRA found that WFG Investments failed to appropriately supervise the sales practices of a registered representative who had engaged in unsuitable trading in his customers’ accounts by overconcentrating them in low-priced securities.  For example, FINRA found that during 2012, the WFG representative’s account purchases were 66% low-priced securities.  In 2013, FINRA’s findings state that the account purchases were 80% concentrated in these securities and/or illiquid and highly speculative private placement and REIT investments.

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