FINRA Hands out $1.8 Million Fine to TD Ameritrade Clearing and SG Americas
- US regulator, FINRA, fines two brokers a total of $1.8 million for breaking rules relating to reporting of options trades. The securities regulator found the two firms guilty of breaches and supervisory failings.

US regulatory authority for securities, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), has reported that it has issued a fine to two major US brokerages for breaches of its rules. TD Ameritrade and SG Americas were both awarded with a financial penalty from the watchdog for failures in transaction reporting and supervisory deficiencies.
The independent securities regulator issued a total fine of $1.8 million to the firms, the official press notification stated that FINRA, “Has fined TD Ameritrade Clearing Clearing Clearing is a general term that simply means many different things depending on the subject and related industry. Most commonly, this refers to the reciprocal exchange between banks of checks and drafts, and the settlement of the differences, or the total of claims settled at a clearinghouse. In finance and banking, the word clearing has different meanings depending on the more specific business model. Moving checks from the bank where they were deposited to the bank on which they were drawn. Th Clearing is a general term that simply means many different things depending on the subject and related industry. Most commonly, this refers to the reciprocal exchange between banks of checks and drafts, and the settlement of the differences, or the total of claims settled at a clearinghouse. In finance and banking, the word clearing has different meanings depending on the more specific business model. Moving checks from the bank where they were deposited to the bank on which they were drawn. Th Read this Term, Inc. $1,150,000 and SG Americas Securities, Inc. $675,000.”
Thomas Gira, Executive Vice President, FINRA Market Regulation Regulation Like any other industry with a high net worth, the financial services industry is tightly regulated to help curb illicit behavior and manipulation. Each asset class has its own set of protocols put in place to combat their respective forms of abuse.In the foreign exchange space, regulation is assumed by authorities in multiple jurisdictions, though ultimately lacking a binding international order. Who are the Industry’s Leading Regulators?Regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority ( Like any other industry with a high net worth, the financial services industry is tightly regulated to help curb illicit behavior and manipulation. Each asset class has its own set of protocols put in place to combat their respective forms of abuse.In the foreign exchange space, regulation is assumed by authorities in multiple jurisdictions, though ultimately lacking a binding international order. Who are the Industry’s Leading Regulators?Regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority ( Read this Term, said in a statement, "It is essential that regulators receive accurate, timely and complete information about large options positions, particularly those positions that involve accounts trading in concert, because this information is necessary to conduct market surveillance and to protect the integrity of the marketplace."
TD Ameritrade
Details in the order state that: “FINRA found that from May 2007 to January 2010, TD Ameritrade failed to properly aggregate certain reportable positions as acting-in-concert, which impacted nearly 4,100 accounts and resulted in the firm failing to report approximately 1.4 million positions. In addition, TD Ameritrade failed to establish and maintain reasonable supervisory procedures and supervisory systems to ensure compliance with rules applicable to the accurate reporting of options positions.”
SG Americas
The order continues: “FINRA found that from December 2007 to January 2013, SG Americas failed to report over-the-counter (OTC) options positions in approximately 500,000 instances; failed to report the counter-party for OTC options positions or incorrectly reported its customers' OTC options positions in more than 600,000 instances; and failed to report or misreported OTC index options positions in more than 900,000 instances. Additionally, SG Americas failed to establish and maintain reasonable supervisory procedures and supervisory systems to ensure compliance with rules applicable to the accurate reporting of options positions.”
US regulatory authority for securities, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), has reported that it has issued a fine to two major US brokerages for breaches of its rules. TD Ameritrade and SG Americas were both awarded with a financial penalty from the watchdog for failures in transaction reporting and supervisory deficiencies.
The independent securities regulator issued a total fine of $1.8 million to the firms, the official press notification stated that FINRA, “Has fined TD Ameritrade Clearing Clearing Clearing is a general term that simply means many different things depending on the subject and related industry. Most commonly, this refers to the reciprocal exchange between banks of checks and drafts, and the settlement of the differences, or the total of claims settled at a clearinghouse. In finance and banking, the word clearing has different meanings depending on the more specific business model. Moving checks from the bank where they were deposited to the bank on which they were drawn. Th Clearing is a general term that simply means many different things depending on the subject and related industry. Most commonly, this refers to the reciprocal exchange between banks of checks and drafts, and the settlement of the differences, or the total of claims settled at a clearinghouse. In finance and banking, the word clearing has different meanings depending on the more specific business model. Moving checks from the bank where they were deposited to the bank on which they were drawn. Th Read this Term, Inc. $1,150,000 and SG Americas Securities, Inc. $675,000.”
Thomas Gira, Executive Vice President, FINRA Market Regulation Regulation Like any other industry with a high net worth, the financial services industry is tightly regulated to help curb illicit behavior and manipulation. Each asset class has its own set of protocols put in place to combat their respective forms of abuse.In the foreign exchange space, regulation is assumed by authorities in multiple jurisdictions, though ultimately lacking a binding international order. Who are the Industry’s Leading Regulators?Regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority ( Like any other industry with a high net worth, the financial services industry is tightly regulated to help curb illicit behavior and manipulation. Each asset class has its own set of protocols put in place to combat their respective forms of abuse.In the foreign exchange space, regulation is assumed by authorities in multiple jurisdictions, though ultimately lacking a binding international order. Who are the Industry’s Leading Regulators?Regulators such as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority ( Read this Term, said in a statement, "It is essential that regulators receive accurate, timely and complete information about large options positions, particularly those positions that involve accounts trading in concert, because this information is necessary to conduct market surveillance and to protect the integrity of the marketplace."
TD Ameritrade
Details in the order state that: “FINRA found that from May 2007 to January 2010, TD Ameritrade failed to properly aggregate certain reportable positions as acting-in-concert, which impacted nearly 4,100 accounts and resulted in the firm failing to report approximately 1.4 million positions. In addition, TD Ameritrade failed to establish and maintain reasonable supervisory procedures and supervisory systems to ensure compliance with rules applicable to the accurate reporting of options positions.”
SG Americas
The order continues: “FINRA found that from December 2007 to January 2013, SG Americas failed to report over-the-counter (OTC) options positions in approximately 500,000 instances; failed to report the counter-party for OTC options positions or incorrectly reported its customers' OTC options positions in more than 600,000 instances; and failed to report or misreported OTC index options positions in more than 900,000 instances. Additionally, SG Americas failed to establish and maintain reasonable supervisory procedures and supervisory systems to ensure compliance with rules applicable to the accurate reporting of options positions.”