FINRA SETTLEMENT On December 20, 2021, FINRA announced a settlement with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (“Wells Fargo”) concerning allegations that Wells Fargo failed to establish and maintain a supervisory system reasonably designed to supervise representatives’ 529 plan share-class recommendations in violation of MSRB Rule G-27 during the period January 1, 2011, and December 4, 2016. Without admitting or denying the findings, Wells Fargo accepted a censure and agreed to pay restitution of $3,367,929 plus interest.
FINRA SETTLEMENT On December 13, 2021, FINRA announced a settlement with Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (“Wells Fargo”) concerning gations of unsuitable recommendations and supervisory failures in relation to unit investment trusts in violation of FINRA and NASD rules for the period July 2013 to June 2018. Without admitting or denying the findings, Wells Fargo accepted a censure and agreed to pay a $650,000 fine and restitution to certain clients totaling $2,458,762.33 plus interest.
SEC SETTLEMENT On May 20, 2022, the SEC announced that Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC agreed to a settlement of allegations that, in connection with the firm’s failure to timely file certain SARS between April 2017 and October 2021, it willfully violated Section 17(A) of the Exchange Act and Rule 17A-8 thereunder. Without admitting or denying the findings contained in the order, with the exception of the SEC’s jurisdiction over it and the subject matter of the proceedings, the firm consented to: (a) cease and desist from committing or causing any violations and any future violations of Section 17(A) of the Exchange Act and Rule 17A-8 promulgated thereunder, (b) be censured, and (c) pay a civil monetary penalty in the amount of $7,000,000. The firm paid the civil monetary penalty on or about June 2, 2022.
SEC SETTLEMENT In August 2023, Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (collectively, the “Firm”) agreed to a settlement with the SEC regarding allegations that the Firm and its predecessor firms overcharged approximately 10,945 accounts of advisory clients opened through 2014 more than $26.8 million in advisory fees from at least 2002 through December 2022 and failed to adopt and implement written compliance policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the overbilling in willful violation of Sections 206(2) and 206(4) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Rule 206(4)-7 thereunder. In 2022 and 2023, the Firm corrected the advisory fees to be charged to the accounts and issued payments for the overcharged advisory fees, plus interest, to the affected accountholders. Without admitting or denying the findings, the Firm consented to a settlement that included a cease-and-desist order, censure, and civil money penalty of $35,000,000.
SEC SETTLEMENT On August 8, 2023, the SEC entered into a settlement order (the “Order”) with Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (collectively “Wells Fargo”), in connection with the broker-dealer off-channel communications initiative, which alleged that Wells Fargo failed to (1) maintain and preserve Off-Channel communications related to the business of the broker-dealers operated by Wells Fargo, in willful violation of section 17(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Rule 17a-4(b)(4) thereunder; and (2) reasonably supervise their personnel with a view to preventing or detecting certain of their employees’ aiding and abetting violations of Section 17(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 17a-4(b)(4) thereunder, within the meaning of Section 15(b)(4)(e) of the Exchange Act. Wells Fargo admitted to the facts in the Order, acknowledged their conduct violated the federal securities laws and agreed to: (a) cease and desist from committing or causing any violations or any future violations of section 17(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 17a-4 thereunder, (b) be censured, (c) pay a civil monetary penalty in the amount of $125,000,000, and (d) comply with certain undertakings related to retention of electronic communications. The civil monetary penalty was paid in accordance with the terms of the Order.
NOTE: In addition to the above matters, certain of Wells Fargo & Company’s affiliates, including Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC (formerly Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC), Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC and First Clearing, LLC, have been involved in a number of civil proceedings and regulatory actions which concern matters arising in connection with the conduct of its business. Certain of such proceedings have resulted in findings of violations of federal or state securities laws. Such proceedings are reported and summarized in each entity’s Form BD as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in other regulatory reports, which descriptions are hereby incorporated by reference.