Former Edward Jones Advisor Barred After Refusing to Cooperate with FINRA Investigation
From the desk of Jim Eccleston at ÍøÆسԹÏ
A former Edward Jones advisor, James A. Bowman, has accepted an industry bar rather than cooperate with a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) investigation into allegations that he reimbursed clients for losses in their accounts.
According to AdvisorHub, Bowman spent 22 years with Edward Jones before his termination in October. He agreed to the bar without admitting or denying FINRA’s findings, according to a finalized settlement.
Edward Jones terminated Bowman after alleging that he "personally reimbursed clients for losses and fees" in their accounts, as noted on his BrokerCheck record. AdvisorHub reports that aside from the termination notice, Bowman has no other disclosure events or customer complaints on his record.
Following his dismissal, FINRA launched an investigation into Bowman’s conduct. However, he refused to provide testimony, triggering an automatic industry bar under FINRA rules. Since leaving Edward Jones, Bowman has not registered with another firm and could not be reached for comment.
In a statement to AdvisorHub, Edward Jones emphasized its commitment to compliance with regulatory and industry rules. While advisors may attempt to resolve client disputes by reimbursing losses out of pocket, FINRA prohibits representatives from sharing directly or indirectly in customer account profits or losses. Firms are also required to properly record and disclose any customer complaints.
Bowman is not the first Edward Jones advisor disciplined for similar conduct. In 2022, FINRA sanctioned a former Edward Jones representative with a one-month suspension and a $5,000 fine for reimbursing a client $1,267 for losses related to the early sale of a certificate of deposit. In 2021, another Edward Jones advisor agreed to a 15-day suspension and a $5,000 fine after attempting to pay a client nearly $2,700 to cover losses tied to an error that led to the liquidation of company stock.
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Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, finra
