The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged two investment adviser subsidiaries of Voya Holdings with failing to disclose conflicts of interest and making misleading disclosures in connection with their practice of recalling securities on loan so their affiliates could receive tax benefits.
The advisers agreed to pay approximately $3.6 million to settle the charges, including more than $2 million directly to the affected mutual funds for the benefit of their investors. According to the SEC’s order instituting a settled administrative proceeding, Voya Investments and Directed Services served as investment advisers to certain insurance-dedicated mutual funds offered to annuity and life insurance customers through insurance companies affiliated with the advisers.
In order to generate additional income for the mutual funds and their investors, the Voya advisers lent securities held by the funds to parties looking to borrow the securities. The Voya advisers recalled loaned securities before their dividend record dates so that the advisers’ insurance company affiliates, who were the record shareholders of the funds’ shares, could receive a tax benefit based on the dividends received. But, as the order explains, the recall practice caused the funds and their investors to lose securities lending income without receiving any offsetting tax benefit. The order found that the Voya advisers failed to disclose the conflict of interest to the funds’ board of directors or in the funds’ prospectuses.