Waddell & Reed Broker Suspended by FINRA for Exercising Discretion without Authorization
Carlos Benavidez Jr., a former registered representative with the Louisville, Kentucky branch of Waddell & Reed, consented to, but did not admit to or deny, the sanction and the entry of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) findings that he exercised discretion in 80 customer accounts without the necessary prior written authorization from the customers or his member firm. According to FINRA, Carlos Benavidez Jr., of Louisville, Kentucky, exercised discretion in effecting hundreds of securities transactions in approximately 80 customer accounts. Further, FINRA found that Mr. Benavidez participated in the backdating of 26 customer notes in order to falsely reflect the date of the conversations with the customers. Mr. Benavidez did not have the written authorization from his customers to exercise discretion, nor had he received written approval from Waddell & Reed for discretionary trading in these accounts.
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