According to FINRA, Jonathon Mark Webster was suspended from association with any FINRA member firm in all capacities for seven months, effective February 2 through September 1, 2026, for willfully violating the Care Obligation of Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) by recommending a short-term trading strategy to 19 retail customers—at least 13 of whom were seniors—that resulted in $121,725.58 in unnecessary commissions that the customers would not have paid had Webster used their existing advisory accounts instead.FINRA found that Webster recommended that his customers implement a short-term stock-buying strategy through commission-based brokerage accounts, even though each of those customers already maintained fee-based advisory accounts with the same firm at a lower comparative cost. Reg BI's Care Obligation requires registered representatives to consider costs when making recommendations and to act in the customer's best interest—not to recommend a course of action that generates avoidable commissions while a lower-cost alternative already exists.By using the commission-based brokerage accounts rather than the existing advisory accounts, Webster's customers collectively paid $121,725.58 in commissions they would not have owed had the trades been executed through their advisory accounts. Webster's member firm ultimately identified the misconduct, refunded all commissions to the affected customers, and rebilled the trades to their advisory accounts. As a result, customers did not ultimately pay any unnecessary charges, and Webster did not retain any of the commissions at issue. No monetary sanctions were imposed on Webster given that he was granted a discharge in bankruptcy.For investors, this case is an important reminder that Reg BI requires brokers to consider not just whether an investment is appropriate, but whether the account type or fee structure used for that investment serves the customer's best interests. Customers who maintain both brokerage and advisory accounts should discuss with their broker which account is most appropriate for each type of transaction. Any recommendation to trade in a commission-based account when a lower-cost alternative exists should prompt careful scrutiny. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to such strategies and should ask their broker to explain all applicable costs before executing trades.