At a glance
- The forms generated $4,583.78, which FINRA said the Stewartville, Minn., broker used for himself.
- Advisors handling divorce-related ownership and beneficiary changes on variable life surrender forms face the same forgery risk, because those forms sit outside the advisory account.
- Thrivent Investment Management fired Hale in May, according to his BrokerCheck profile; he had worked there since 2017.
FINRA barred Nicholas James Hale on Tuesday after finding he forged his estranged wife’s signature on three surrender forms for variable universal life insurance contracts she owned, InvestmentNews reported.
The forms generated $4,583.78, which FINRA said the Stewartville, Minn., broker used for himself.
Advisors handling divorce-related ownership and beneficiary changes on variable life surrender forms face the same forgery risk, because those forms sit outside the advisory account. Thrivent Investment Management fired Hale in May, according to his BrokerCheck profile; he had worked there since 2017. The consent order, which Hale accepted without admitting or denying the findings, said the April 2026 signatures were made without his wife’s knowledge or consent. FINRA opened its investigation after Thrivent filed its termination notice. After the firm’s inquiry, Hale returned the money and the three contracts were reinstated with the proceeds reapplied.
Reported by The Advisor's Note desk from InvestmentNews. Published . Corrections