Three advisors who have been disciplined by state regulators or Finra have been suspended by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.
The advisors were disciplined under CFP Board rules that allow an "automatic interim suspension" without a hearing "for a felony conviction for any crime or revocation of a financial professional license."
The suspensions of the advisors' right to use the CFP certification mark are pending complete investigations by the board into each of the cases and possible further disciplinary proceedings, the board said.
The following advisors were suspended:
• Michael J. Altobell of Paragon Portfolio Management in Roseville, Calif.
Altobell's suspension came after California's Department of Business Oversight barred him from any position of employment, management or control of any investment adviser, broker-dealer or commodity adviser, the board said. California state regulators found that Altobell used the clients' personal usernames and passwords without their authorization; mismanaged clients' accounts and recommended unsuitable investments to senior clients; and engaged in unlawful market manipulation by trading penny stocks in clients' accounts, the board said.
• Richard LaBare of Rancho Mirage, Calif.
In June, Finra permanently barred LaBare from associating with any Finra member in all capacities based on its finding that he failed to respond to Finra requests for information in an investigation, the board said.
• Gerald A. Eaton of Acton, Mass.
Eaton entered into a consent agreement with Finra in November that resulted in him being barred from the securities business after he failed to comply with Finra requests for information. "The Finra requests sought information and documents regarding Mr. Eaton's alleged fraudulent facilitation of distributions from the accounts of clients without their knowledge or consent or for their benefit," the CFP Board said.