California Settles with Franklin Templeton

November 17, 2004
California Attorney General Bill Lockyer has reached an $18 million settlement with the distributor of Franklin Templeton Investments (FTI), resolving allegations that the the distributor violated state securities laws by not adequately informing investors about agreements to pay broker-dealers to recommend and sell FTI mutual funds.

"Most mutual fund investors are families with modest incomes," said Lockyer. "They work hard for their money, and when they invest it they deserve to be told the whole truth so they can make informed decisions. That is what our laws against securities fraud require. Franklin Templeton violated those laws and the trust of small investors."

Along with the complaint itself, Lockyer today filed the settlement with Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. (FTDI) in Sacramento County Superior Court. The court approved the settlement, which takes effect immediately. FTDI is the front-line distributor of FTI Funds, which include the Franklin, Templeton and Mutual Series mutual funds. FTDI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. (FRI), the parent company of San Mateo-based FTI. In 2003, FTI managed more than $300 billion in assets worldwide.

The settlement requires FTDI to pay $18 million. Of that total, $14 million will be disgorged back to the FTI Funds. An independent consultant, agreed to by Lockyer, will develop and implement a plan to allocate the $14 million to the various FTI funds. FTDI also will pay the state $2 million in civil penalties for violating the state Corporate Securities Law (CSL), and another $2 million to cover costs.

Aside from monetary terms, the state's settlement memorializes FTDI's agreement to implement voluntary reforms in response to Lockyer's investigation. FTDI will more fully inform investors about the "shelf space" arrangements it enters with broker-dealers to secure either sales of FTI funds or spots on lists of recommended buys.

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