The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced Wednesday it has fined Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. $6.25 million and the firm will pay some $780,000 in restitution to 22 Puerto Rico customers who who were "highly concentrated and highly leveraged in Commonwealth securities."
While recognizing that the Gov. Luis Fortuño administration’s financial strides “have been large and comprehensive,” Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a recent report that Puerto Rico still has challenges ahead before achieving a full recovery.