Case file: Cetera Financial Group
Every government filing on this incident, the dates as stated, and the days to notice against each state's statute. Built from the records on Nov 9, 2026, agency link on every row. Not legal advice.
The incident
- Breach window
- Jul 7, 2025 to Aug 21, 2025
- Discovered
- Jan 30, 2026, as stated in the California letter
- State and federal records
- 4 filings, Mar 25, 2026 to Mar 27, 2026
- Residents counted
- 2,246 in 2 states (TX, MA), latest filing per state
- Everyone affected
- 42,947, as reported to Texas AG on Mar 27, 2026
- Information exposed
- Social Security number, Financial / bank account, Postal address, Driver's license / state ID, Email address
- Offered to those affected
- 24 months of credit or identity monitoring through Experian
- Third party named
- No
- Days to notice
- Past the statutory period in 2 of the 3 states that set one, counted from discovery to each state's first record
- Prior incidents
- 1 earlier incident on record for this organization
The letter: "Although the review is ongoing, on or around January 30, 2026, Cetera determined that certain personal information was involved."
Filings
| Agency | Record date | People | In total | Days to notice | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Texas AG | Mar 27, 2026 | 1,398 | 42,947 | 56 days, statute 60 days | Record |
| Massachusetts Massachusetts OCABR | Mar 25, 2026 | 848 | 54 days, statute no fixed period | Record | |
| California California AG | Mar 25, 2026 | Not published | 54 days, statute 30 days, over | Letter Record | |
| Vermont Vermont AG | Mar 25, 2026 | Not published | 54 days, statute 45 days, over | Letter Record |
People is the count the filing gives, residents of the state unless marked total. Days to notice runs from the discovery date the letter states, or from the end of the breach window when no letter states one, to the date on the state's first record of the incident. "Over" marks a count past the days the state's statute allows for notice to residents. The statute's trigger is a question of fact, the days are arithmetic.
Notice timing, state by state
- 56 days from discovery (Jan 30, 2026) to the Texas record (Mar 27, 2026). Statute: 60 days from determination that the breach occurred (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 521.053).
- 54 days from discovery (Jan 30, 2026) to the Massachusetts record (Mar 25, 2026). Statute: no fixed period from knowledge or reason to know of the breach (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93H, § 3).
- 54 days from discovery (Jan 30, 2026) to the California record (Mar 25, 2026). Statute: 30 days from discovery or notification of the breach (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.82).
- 54 days from discovery (Jan 30, 2026) to the Vermont record (Mar 25, 2026). Statute: 45 days from discovery or notification of the breach (9 V.S.A. § 2435).
The statutes
- Texas: 60 days to notify residents from determination that the breach occurred, Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 521.053. Attorney General within 30 days of determination when 250 or more Texas residents are affected.
- Massachusetts: no fixed period to notify residents from knowledge or reason to know of the breach, Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 93H, § 3. Attorney General and OCABR as soon as practicable and without unreasonable delay, every breach.
- California: 30 days to notify residents from discovery or notification of the breach, Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.82. Sample notice to the Attorney General when more than 500 Californians are notified, within 15 days of the consumer notice (effective 2026).
- Vermont: 45 days to notify residents from discovery or notification of the breach, 9 V.S.A. § 2435. Attorney General within 14 business days of discovery or of the consumer notice, whichever is sooner, every breach.
Prior incidents by Cetera Financial Group
| Records | Breach window | Filed with | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 2020 | Apr 6, 2020 | California | n/a |
Filings more than six months apart are shown as separate incidents.
Sources and method
Records as published by Texas AG, Massachusetts OCABR, California AG, Vermont AG. Letter facts (discovery date, monitoring, third party) are read from the consumer letter the agency posted, 2 letters read for this incident, and quoted so you can check them. Texas and HHS publish no letters. First-seen times on each record page. Spot an error? Email support@breachtally.com with this page link.