Morgan Keegan & Company will be ponying up $200 million to settle allegations of exaggerated claims, failures in supervision and undisclosed investment risks, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority announced Wednesday.
According to the (FINRA), the company will be making restitution to clients who invested in seven affiliated bond funds, including the Regions Morgan Keegan Select Intermediate Bond Fund (Intermediate Fund). The funds were managed by Morgan Keegan’s affiliate, Morgan Asset Management. Enforcement proceedings were brought not just by FINRA, but also by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and five state regulators from Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee.
FINRA determined that the company, from January 2006 through September 2007, marketed and sold the Intermediate Fund to investors using sales materials that contained exaggerated claims, failed to provide a sound basis for evaluating the facts regarding the fund, were not fair and balanced, and did not adequately disclose the impact of market conditions that caused substantial losses to the value of the Intermediate Fund.