Texas revokes license of rep for Woodbridge Wealth sales

Texas revokes license of rep for  Woodbridge Wealth sales
Kim Diane Butler breached fiduciary duty by receiving $300,000 in commissions on the sales
SEP 10, 2020

Texas securities regulators have revoked the investment adviser representative license of Kim Diane Butler, of Mt. Enterprise, Texas, for her role in the sales of Woodbridge Wealth.

From 2015 through 2017, Butler sold more than $5 million of unregistered alternative investments in Woodbridge Wealth through a network of organizations she owned and operated. She received more than $300,000 in commissions in connection with the sales.

In doing so, the Texas Securities commissioner said in a release, Butler breached the fiduciary duties owed to her clients by never disclosing the fact that she received a commission from the sales and never discussing the conflict of interest that existed because of her financial incentive to recommend clients purchase Woodbridge investments.

In December 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a complaint against Woodbridge alleging it to be a massive Ponzi scheme that raised more than $1.2 billion from 8,400 investors across the country.

In addition to revoking her license, Texas ordered Butler to cease and desist from engaging in the unregistered sales of securities and from engaging in further fraudulent conduct.

Latest News

Osaic's ex-CFO Kristy Britt joins PE-backed accounting firm Wipfli
Osaic's ex-CFO Kristy Britt joins PE-backed accounting firm Wipfli

Britt is named CFO of Wipfli, a $600 million accounting firm that audits two NFL franchises

YCharts acquires Informa's Zephyr to bolster SMA analytics for advisors
YCharts acquires Informa's Zephyr to bolster SMA analytics for advisors

The acquisition pairs Zephyr's 21,000-product separately managed account database with YCharts' newly launched AI agent assistant for investment research.

Advisor moves: Raymond James, Ameriprise, and Janney announce additions in Florida
Advisor moves: Raymond James, Ameriprise, and Janney announce additions in Florida

The war for talent continues in the Sunshine State with as Truist and RayJay teams managing a collective $1 billion in client assets defect to other firms.

Retirement’s new magic number? Workers say they’ll need $1.2 million
Retirement’s new magic number? Workers say they’ll need $1.2 million

Americans now estimate they need $1.2 million to retire comfortably, but rising costs and debt are making that goal increasingly difficult to reach.

Can mega RIAs go public? Integration may decide it, veteran leaders say
Can mega RIAs go public? Integration may decide it, veteran leaders say

Crewe Advisors' Ryan Halliday and Accelerated Wealth Partners' Eric Amar suggest mega RIA's readiness to integrate — not just scale — will determine whether an IPO exit actually works.

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