SEC bars adviser charged with fraud

SEC bars adviser charged with fraud
Tamara Steele and her Indianapolis-based firm, Steele Financial, agreed to disgorgement of $845,760 and a $75,000 civil penalty
JUN 08, 2020

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday permanently barred Tamara Steele, owner of an Indianapolis-based investment advisory firm, who had been charged with fraud.

Separately, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana entered a judgment against Steele and her firm, Steele Financial Inc., that includes $845,760 of disgorgement and a $75,000 civil penalty. According to the press release, Steele also agreed to shut down Steele Financial.

In 2018, the SEC charged that between 2012 and 2016, Steele and her firm sold $15 million of the securities of Behavioral Recognition Systems Inc., a company the SEC charged with fraud in 2017. Of that total, $13 million worth were sold to 120 of the advisory firm’s clients.

According to the SEC complaint, Steele and her firm earned more than $2.5 million in commissions on the sales but did not disclose those commissions. In fact, Steele submitted false invoices in an attempt to conceal what was going on, according to the regulator.

Latest News

No succession plan? No worries. Just practice in place
No succession plan? No worries. Just practice in place

While industry statistics pointing to a succession crisis can cause alarm, advisor-owners should be free to consider a middle path between staying solo and catching the surging wave of M&A.

Research highlights growing need for personalized retirement solutions as investors age
Research highlights growing need for personalized retirement solutions as investors age

New joint research by T. Rowe Price, MIT, and Stanford University finds more diverse asset allocations among older participants.

Advisor moves: RIA Farther hails Q2 recruiting record, Raymond James nabs $300M team from Edward Jones
Advisor moves: RIA Farther hails Q2 recruiting record, Raymond James nabs $300M team from Edward Jones

With its asset pipeline bursting past $13 billion, Farther is looking to build more momentum with three new managing directors.

Insured Retirement Institute urges Labor Department to retain annuity safe harbor
Insured Retirement Institute urges Labor Department to retain annuity safe harbor

A Department of Labor proposal to scrap a regulatory provision under ERISA could create uncertainty for fiduciaries, the trade association argues.

LPL Financial sticking to its guns with retaining 90% of Commonwealth's financial advisors
LPL Financial sticking to its guns with retaining 90% of Commonwealth's financial advisors

"We continue to feel confident about our ability to capture 90%," LPL CEO Rich Steinmeier told analysts during the firm's 2nd quarter earnings call.

SPONSORED How advisors can build for high-net-worth complexity

Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.

SPONSORED RILAs bring stability, growth during volatile markets

Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.