Antonia Chion spent 32 years with the SEC, and most recently helped supervise a settlement with Wells Fargo Clearing Services and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network that included a $35 million penalty.
With uncertainty around how custodians will service smaller advisors going forward, shuttering the RIA and affiliating with a larger platform seems to be a better option for many sub-$150 million advisors.
The commission said Wells Fargo failed to properly train and oversee brokers and advisors who didn't understand the ETF was not designed for long-term buy-and-hold investors.