According to FINRA, Timothy Daniel Curran was fined $5,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in all capacities for one month for improperly sending confidential and proprietary information from his firm's systems when leaving for a new firm.

In anticipation of leaving his member firm, Curran emailed confidential information to his personal email address and printed and retained documents. This information included nonpublic information about the firm's customers.

The information was directly relevant to Curran's new position, and he accessed some of it after moving to the new firm. This conduct violated firm policies that Curran had agreed to abide by in firm ethics training, in annual compliance questionnaires, and in an employment agreement.

While brokers changing firms is common, the manner in which customer information is handled during transitions is subject to strict rules. Customer information belongs to the firm and is protected by privacy regulations. Taking such information without authorization, particularly by emailing it to personal accounts, creates security risks and violates customer privacy.

The suspension was in effect from November 3, 2025, through December 2, 2025.

For investors, this case illustrates the importance of customer information protection. When your broker changes firms, you should receive notification and an opportunity to decide whether to move your account or remain with the existing firm. Your information should not be taken by departing brokers without proper authorization.

If you have concerns about how your information was handled during a broker transition, you can file a complaint with FINRA or contact the firms involved to inquire about their information security procedures.