A former administrative assistant formerly associated with Synovus Securities has received a six-month suspension from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) following an investigation into her conduct. Amy Fulghum began her role at Synovus Securities in March 2023, providing support to registered representatives and interacting with customers regarding their accounts. However, her employment was terminated on October 3, 2023.
Fulghum subsequently joined another FINRA member in a similar capacity in April 2025, but her association with that firm ended shortly after, on May 22, 2025. Even though she is not currently linked to a FINRA member, the regulatory body maintains jurisdiction over her actions as per the organization’s bylaws.
During her time at Synovus, which spanned from March to September 2023, Fulghum engaged in improper practices by electronically signing a total of 140 customer-related documents. This included signing 22 documents without permission from the respective customers and signing an additional 118 with permission. The signed documents were necessary for the firm’s operations, and despite these actions being unauthorized in some instances, there were no complaints from customers regarding the transactions.
Fulghum believed that signing customer names was an acceptable practice, which led to her violation of FINRA Rule 2010. Furthermore, her actions in causing the firm to maintain inaccurate records constituted violations of both FINRA Rules 4511 and 2010.
As a result of her actions, she has consented to face specific sanctions, which include the aforementioned six-month suspension from engaging with any FINRA member firm in any capacity, along with a deferred fine of $5,000. This case underscores the importance of compliance with regulatory standards within the financial industry and highlights the consequences of deviating from established practices in handling customer documentation and records.