Merrill Lynch has paid over $4 million in settlements tied to actions of barred advisor Thomas Buck of Indianapolis, according to an analysis of FINRA records conducted recently by the Indianapolis Business Journal.
The wirehouse, which declined to comment on the matter, let Buck go in March, and he was barred from work as an advisor several months later at age 61.
Several trade publications say the advisor, who had been with Merrill for 34 years, led a team that had some $1.5 billion in assets under management. FINRA records state his team produced between $6 million to $10 million in yearly fees and commissions, 85% of which were generated by Buck mainly via commission-based accounts.
In 2015, Merrill Lynch settled 23 customer complaints for $4.13 million, the largest of which was resolved for $719,000, according to the Indianapolis-based publication.