STATE OF NEVADA SECURITIES DIVISION RESIDENTIAL OFFICE INVESTIGATION On April 13, 2018, the
Nevada Securities Division and Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC (WFCS) entered into an Administrative Consent Order wherein WFCS admitted to failing to register the residential offices of three Financial Advisors who were working from
home. Nevadas definition of branch office includes a personal residence where securities business is transacted, even if the residence is not held out to the public or used for client meetings. WFCS agreed to pay an $8,000 fine and
$1,446.13 for the costs of the examinations conducted by the Nevada Securities Division.
SEC SETTLEMENT On June 25, 2018, Wells Fargo
Advisors LLC (WFA), entered into a settlement agreement with the SEC wherein, without admitting or denying liability, it settled charges of violations of Sections 17(a)(2) and 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act. The settlement related to
certain registered representatives soliciting customers to redeem, and short-term trading of, market-linked investments prematurely without adequate analysis or consideration of the substantial costs associated with the transactions. As part of the
settlement, the firm consented to a censure and a payment of $5,108,441.27 representing disgorgement, prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty. WFA also lost its Well Known Seasoned Issuer status as a collateral consequence of the settlement.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS SECURITIES DIVISION SETTLEMENT On August 26, 2018, the Massachusetts Securities Division of the Office of the
Secretary of the Commonwealth and Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC (WFCS) entered into a Consent Order regarding allegations that certain WFCS supervisors and agents had a lapse in required Massachusetts registration for some period
during the relevant time period of January 1, 2016 to June 28, 2018. Without admitting or denying the facts or conclusions of law, WFCS agreed to certain undertakings including payment of an administrative fine of $450,000.
SEC SETTLEMENT On March 11, 2019, the SEC announced that Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (collectively
Wells Fargo) agreed to settle charges, without admitting or denying liability, that Wells Fargo violated Section 203(e) and 203(k) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The settlement relates to Wells Fargos voluntary
participation in the SECs Share Class Selection Disclosure Initiative wherein investment advisers were encouraged to self-report the failure to adequately disclose conflicts of interest associated with the recommendation or selection of a
mutual fund share class that charged distribution fees (12b-1 Fees) when a lower-cost share class of the same fund existed. The settlement requires Wells Fargo to adhere to a cease-and-desist order and to disgorge $17,363,847.29 in 12b-1 fees through a restitution program. The settlement did not require Wells
Fargo to pay any additional fines or penalties given its voluntary participation in the program.
SEC SETTLEMENT On March 20, 2019, the SEC
announced that Wells Fargo Securities, LLC had consented to a judgment entered by the federal district court in Rhode Island resolving a 2016 SEC civil action against multiple parties. The matter had arisen out of the firms role as placement
agent in a $75 million bond offering by the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation in November 2010 for the purpose of loaning the proceeds to 38 Studios, LLC, an early-stage, pre-revenue videogame
development company that was ultimately unable to meet its obligations under the loan. The SEC had alleged that the firm and other defendants had made two material omissions in the bond placement materials. Without admitting or denying liability,
the firm consented to injunctions and a penalty of $812,500.
FINRA SETTLEMENT On January 29, 2020, FINRA announced a settlement with Wells
Fargo Clearing Services, LLC (WFCS) concerning allegations that WFCS violated NASD Rule 3010(a) (for conduct prior to December 1, 2014) and FINRA Rule 3110(a) (for conduct on or after December 1, 2014) by failing to reasonably
supervise a former registered representative who excessively traded equity positions in three accounts belonging to an elderly customer during the period from March 2012 to March 2016. Without admitting or denying the findings, Wells Fargo accepted
a censure and agreed to pay a fine of $175,000.
SALES PRACTICES SETTLEMENTS On February 21, 2020, Wells Fargo & Company
(WFC) entered into settlement agreements with the SEC and the DOJ to resolve those agencies investigations into WFCs historical Community Bank sales practices and related disclosures. With respect to the SEC, WFC consented to
the entry into of a cease and desist order, which found that WFC violated Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and agreed to pay a civil penalty of $500 million. With respect
to the DOJ, WFC entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United States Attorneys Offices for the Central District of California and the Western District of North Carolina and a settlement agreement with the Civil Division of the
DOJ and the United States Attorneys Office for the Central District of California related to the sales practices conduct and agreed to pay a monetary penalty of $2.5 billion. WFC accepted and acknowledged responsibility for facts and
conduct described in the deferred prosecution agreement, and no charges will be filed against WFC provided that WFC abides by all the terms of the agreement.