MFDA announces settlement hearing to take place in respect of David Careless

TORONTO, Nov. 16, 2016 /CNW/ - The Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada ("MFDA") commenced a disciplinary proceeding in respect of David Careless (the "Respondent") by Notice of Hearing dated March 9, 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 March 30, 2017, commencing at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern) or as soon thereafter as the matter can be heard, in the hearing room at the offices of the MFDA, located at 121 King Street West, Suite 1000, Toronto, Ontario.

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)	on or around February 3, 2014, removed a hold placed by the Member on his RRSP Mutual Fund Account in order to complete a transaction, thereby failing to comply with the Member's policies and procedures and to observe a high standard of conduct and ethics in the transaction of business, contrary to MFDA Rules 1.1.2, 2.5.1, and 2.1.1; and
b)	on March 18, 2014, falsified a client signature on an account form, contrary to MFDA Rule 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 conducted business in the Ottawa, Ontario area.

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]