Off-Channel Text Messaging Draws FINRA Sanctions
After uncovering years of off-channel communications and discovery failures, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has fined Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. $750,000 and issued a formal censure, closing a case that traces back to supervisory gaps first exposed more than five years ago. The settlement centers on the firm’s failure to properly supervise, preserve, and review business-related text messages used by its registered representatives. It also addresses the firm’s failure to meet discovery obligations during a contentious FINRA arbitration tied to recruiting disputes.
