South Florida Arbitration & Litigation Lawyer Blog
Stock Broker Outside Business and Selling Away FINRA Arbitration and Litigation FINRA Arbitration and Litigation Attorney, Russell L. Forkey, Esq.
January, 2012:
Bradley John Delp (CRD #1701698, Registered Representative, Deerfield Beach, Florida) submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he was fined $25,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for two months. The fine must be paid either immediately upon Delp’s reassociation with a FINRA member firm following his suspension, or prior to the filing of any application or request for relief from any statutory disqualification, whichever is earlier. Without admitting or denying the findings, Delp consented to the described sanctions and to the entry of findings that he failed to provide prompt written notice to his member firm that he was employed by, or accepted compensation from, another person as a result of outside business activities. The findings stated that Delp was a shareholder and employee of an independent insurance agency who brokered fixed-term or whole life settlements for his insurance customers, and his insurance agency received a commission for most of the life settlement transactions it brokered. The findings also stated that many years after Delp joined the firm and disclosed his outside business activity, the firm revised its WSPs to prohibit its registered representatives from participating in life settlements unless processed through the firm and limited to products the firm offered through approved firm sponsors. Delp’s outside business insurance company facilitated insurance company customers’ sales of fixed-term or whole life insurance policies to third-party companies. The life settlements were not brokered through the firm and most were not brokered with approved firm sponsors as required by the firm’s revised procedures. The findings also included that Delp formed a company in which he owned a half-interest. The company’s business was to negotiate, on behalf of Delp and other participating individual insurance brokers, commission rates from life insurance companies for insurance policies that they brokered. FINRA found that Delp’s administrative assistant completed online Firm Element continuing education (CE) training courses for him. FINRA also found that Delp used, or directed his staff to use, copies of signature transparencies for customers to generate third-party checks, wire transfers and to journal money from related customer accounts although the customers had orally authorized the transactions.
The suspension is in effect from December 5, 2011, through February 4, 2012. (FINRA Case #2009018233803).