William Wade Godfrey (also known as Bill Godfrey), of Tampa, Florida, a stockbroker formerly registered with Thrivent Investment Management Inc., has been barred from associating with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) member in any capacity because Godfrey failed to cooperate in an investigation into his variable annuity sales practices. Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent No. 2022073818801 (December 5, 2023).
The issue leading to the FINRA sanction arose during the time that Godfrey refused to appear for testimony requested by FINRA under Rule 8210. This request was part of an investigation into annuity exchanges by his customers at Thrivent Investment Management Inc. Despite acknowledging receipt of the request, Godfrey explicitly refused to testify, leading to a violation of FINRA Rules 8210 and 2010.
FINRA Public Disclosure shows that a customer initiated a complaint involving Godfrey’s conduct while he was associated with Thrivent Investment Management Inc. The complaint, which was settled on March 25, 2022, for $15,298.93 in damages, centered around allegations related to surrender charges incurred from a transfer of variable annuities in 2021.
Godfrey was associated with OneAmerica Securities Inc. in Tampa, Florida, from June 14, 2022, to December 6, 2023. He was associated with Thrivent Investment Management Inc. in Clearwater, Florida, from March 18, 2021, to January 18, 2022. He was discharged by Thrivent Investment Management Inc. on December 22, 2021, for submitting variable annuity applications with inaccurate information. Godfrey was also associated with Equitable Advisors LLC in Tampa, Florida, from June 13, 2018, to March 4, 2021.
