HSBC pays $750,000 to settle with SEC on adviser comp practices

HSBC pays $750,000 to settle with SEC on adviser comp practices
The agency charged the firm with misrepresenting how it paid dually registered reps
MAR 17, 2020

HSBC Securities (USA) will pay a $750,000 civil penalty to settle with the Securities and Exchange Commission for making misrepresentations to retail clients about the compensation of its dually registered investment adviser and broker representatives.

According to the SEC's order, HSBC Securities told clients that its representatives were compensated based solely on nonfinancial factors and not based on the advisory fees paid to HSBC Securities.

The firm actually considered several financial factors to determine its representatives’ bonus compensation, including the amount of advisory fees that clients paid to HSBC Securities each quarter, which gave the broker/advisers “a financial incentive to generate more advisory fees in their clients' accounts,” the SEC said in release.

Latest News

Fintech bytes: Envestnet reaffirms $1B RIA commitment with Tamarac tech investment
Fintech bytes: Envestnet reaffirms $1B RIA commitment with Tamarac tech investment

Also, Orion has added BlackRock, Fidelity, and Vanguard to its custom portfolios suite, and RedBlack has set up a new headquarters after crossing a trillion-dollar milestone.

RIA moves: Maridea acquires multigenerational practice in Pennsylvania debut
RIA moves: Maridea acquires multigenerational practice in Pennsylvania debut

Also, New York-based Legacy Edge Advisors names its first-ever CEO, while Novare Capital Management hires a Vanguard veteran with a multigenerational planning focus.

Private equity eyes 401(k) plans, but fees remain a hurdle
Private equity eyes 401(k) plans, but fees remain a hurdle

Asset managers are racing to bring private market products to retirement plans, but cost and liquidity concerns linger.

IRS floats proposal ending tax breaks for schools that weigh race
IRS floats proposal ending tax breaks for schools that weigh race

Treasury's latest tax-exemption crackdown on private schools lands in the wake of a separate push to restrict refundable credits for some immigrant filers.

Trust over tech:  The hidden signal of stock success in the AI era
Trust over tech: The hidden signal of stock success in the AI era

Workforce trust measures predicted which companies came out ahead during COVID-19. The same dynamic may now be playing out across the AI transition — and the data suggests the spread could be just as wide.

SPONSORED Direct indexing webinar targets tax-loss harvesting amid market swings

Northern Trust’s Ken Lassner shows advisors how to convert volatility into after-tax portfolio gains

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income