SEC Levies $850,000 in Penalties Against Nine Investment Firms for Marketing Rule Violations
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken action against nine investment advisory firms, imposing a collective $850,000 in civil penalties for marketing rule violations. The SEC's enforcement centers around the firms' promotion of hypothetical performance data without implementing the necessary policies mandated by regulators. These actions were found to be in breach of a 2020 rule designed to restrict advisers from showcasing hypothetical performance to investors unless specific policies were in place to ensure its relevance to the intended audience, among other requirements.