MFDA announces settlement hearing to take place in respect of Christopher Singer
TORONTO, Feb. 16, 2017 /CNW/ - The Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada ("MFDA") commenced a disciplinary proceeding in respect of Christopher J. Singer (the "Respondent") by Notice of Hearing dated June 23, 2016 (the "Notice of Hearing").
As the result of a settlement agreement entered into between Staff of the MFDA and the Respondent, the settlement hearing in this proceeding will take place on February 22, 2017, commencing at 10:00 a.m. (Pacific) or as soon thereafter as the matter can be heard, in the hearing room at the British Columbia Securities Commission, located at 1200-701 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia.
The subject matter of the proposed settlement agreement concerns matters for which the Respondent may be disciplined pursuant to ss. 20 and 24.1.1 of By-law No. 1 of the MFDA. In particular, the settlement agreement concerns allegations that the Respondent:
| a) |
between June 2011 and March 17, 2014, failed to use due diligence to learn the essential facts relative to client AO and accurately record the essential facts on the client's New Account Application Forms, contrary to MFDA Rules 2.2.1(a) and 2.1.1; |
| b) |
between June 2011 and March 17, 2014, failed to ensure that an investment recommendation he made to client AO was suitable having regard to the client's Know-Your-Client factors including her investment objectives, investment knowledge, risk tolerance, time horizon, and failed to ensure appropriate diversification of her investment portfolio, contrary to MFDA Rules 2.2.1 and 2.1.1; |
| c) |
between June 2011 and March 17, 2014, failed to adequately explain the risks, benefits, material assumptions and features of exempt securities he recommended to client AO, thereby failing to present the investment to the client in a fair and balanced manner, contrary to MFDA Rules 2.2.1 and 2.1.1; and |
| d) |
between November 17, 2011 and March 17, 2014, failed to review or reconsider his recommendation to client AO in light of criteria for assessing the suitability of the ROI Funds provided by the Member in December 2011, contrary to MFDA Rules 2.2.1 and 2.1.1. |
MFDA settlement hearings are typically held in the absence of the public pursuant to section 20.5 of MFDA By-law No. 1 and Rule 15.2(2) of the MFDA Rules of Procedure. If the Hearing Panel accepts the settlement agreement, then the proceeding will become open to the public and a copy of the decision of the Hearing Panel and the settlement agreement will be made available at www.mfda.ca.
A copy of the Notice of Hearing is available on the MFDA website at www.mfda.ca. During the period described in the Notice of Hearing, the Respondent carried on business in White Rock, British Columbia.
The MFDA is the self-regulatory organization for Canadian mutual fund dealers, regulating the operations, standards of practice and business conduct of its Members and their approximately 83,000 Approved Persons with a mandate to protect investors and the public interest. For more information about the MFDA's complaint and enforcement processes, as well as links to 'Check an Advisor' and other Investor Tools, visit the For Investors page on the MFDA website.
SOURCE Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada
Charles Toth, Director, Litigation, 416-943-4619, [email protected]; Jeff Mount, Vice-President, Pacific Region, 604-694-8846, [email protected]
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