SEC penalizes Brighton Securities over fee disclosures, conflicts

September 24, 2024

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday said it had penalized a Rochester, N.Y., hybrid broker-dealer, Rochester Securities Corp., for failing to disclose $1 million in fees that came from a new contract with a clearing firm, resulting in an undisclosed potential conflict.

The SEC’s penalty against Rochester Securities was $175,000, while the registered investment advisor arm of the firm was Brighton Securities Capital Management Inc., which managed $195 million in client assets before its recent closure.


A call Tuesday morning to a spokesperson at Brighton Securities seeking comment about the penalty and settlement was not returned. According to the SEC’s order, Brighton Securities agreed to the settlement without admitting or denying its findings.


“Broker-dealers and RIAs are right now in a position where they must over disclose if they are getting any outside, third party revenue,” said Sander Ressler, managing director of Essential Edge Compliance Outsourcing Services. “That’s any revenue not coming directly from financial advisors or commissions.


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“Broker-dealers and RIAs are right now in a position where they must over disclose," says one industry executive.


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Arbitration IQ provides expert testimony to securities law attorneys, claimants, respondents and regulators in actions involving securities law. The firm is founded and led by Sander Ressler, who ranks among the nation’s most sought-after securities law expert witnesses. He has worked on more than 600 arbitration cases, provided testimony in 150 hearings and worked with more than 70 law firms. Learn more at: www.arbitrationiq.com.
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