FINRA Disciplinary Action Report: Jan 2020

Each month, the agency that regulates the financial industry, FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), produces a detailed report that runs down all disciplinary actions recently taken against brokerage firms and brokers. We strongly encourage any investor who suspects their broker and/or broker-dealer of having lost them money on dubious terms to at least skim this report to see if you recognize any names, schemes, products, or securities.

FINRA and SEC Warnings about Cyber-Threats

With the economy on a rocky footing, the climate is right for investment scams. These scams can impact investors of all ages, but those hit hardest are the seniors. Often isolated and suffering a diminishing capacity to discern truth from lies, elderly investors are particularly vulnerable to clever investment scams that promise high returns for low or no risk.

FINRA Recruits More Female Arbitrators

According to the director of the Office of Dispute Resolution, Richard Berry, FINRA is increasing efforts to enroll female arbitrators for its independent arbitration forum to boost representation and make the procedure fairer.

FINRA Report Exposes Investors Oblivious to Fees

In correspondence to a recent report from the FINRA Foundation, a substantial fraction of investors with investments in non-retirement accounts may misinterpret the varieties of costs they disburse for trades, account services, mutual funds and investment advice.

FINRA COMPENSATES WIDOW SCAMMED BY ADVISOR

A FINRA arbitration panel has ordered the National Planning Corporation to give over $2.6 million to an 84-year-old woman who was sold false promissory notes.

In a September 2017 petition, Sandra Alford of St. Louis sued National Planning of negligent misrepresentation, common law fraud, breach of contract and negligent supervision. Sandra Alford of St. Louis, was William Glaser's client, a past certified representative of the firm.

FINRA Proposal on Unpaid Arbitration Awards Not Good Enough

The Financial Industry Regulatory (FINRA) Administration Proposal will open the window for investors to exit the arbitration process the moment a broker or a brokerage firm leaves business while an arbitration is pending in court. 

FINRA Fines Firms for Failing to "Know Your Customer"

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctioned Citigroup Global Markets, J.P. Morgan Securities, LPL Financial, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and Merrill Lynch for failure to ensure compliance with FINRA Rule 2090 “Know Your Customer” rule, dealing with custodial accounts. The Rule requires member firms and their associated representatives to use reasonable diligence to determine the “essential facts” about each customer and “the authority of each person acting on behalf of such customer.”

FINRA Proposes Ban on Non-Attorney Reps in Arbitration

 FINRA has requested  the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approve a policy that would forbid so called non-attorney representatives (NARs) from taking clients cases for compensation. This is to further strengthen the rules regulating Client representation in its private arbitration forums.

Majority of Investors Fail FINRA Investing Quiz

According to a new report released by the Financial Industry Regulation Authority (FINRA), Americans with non-retirement investment accounts are majorly unaware of fundamental investing ideas, and many are only slightly aware of the costs they’re paying. 

SEC Charges REIT with Fraud

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday, 13th December, 2019 charged the CEO and owner of a small nontraded real estate investment trust, First Capital Real Estate Trust Inc. (First Capital REIT), with fraud. Allegedly he lied about owning a dozen hotels and adding them to the REIT to close a deal. 

FINRA Disciplinary Action Report: Dec 2019

Each month, the agency that regulates the financial industry, FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), produces a detailed report that runs down all disciplinary actions recently taken against brokerage firms and brokers. We strongly encourage any investor who suspects their broker and/or broker-dealer of having lost them money on dubious terms to at least skim this report to see if you recognize any names, schemes, products, or securities.

FINRA: Suitability and Sales Practice Issues Linger

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc (FINRA) released its “2019 Report on Examination Findings and Observations”, in October 2019. The report reflected key finding/observations identified in FINRA’s recent examinations of broker-dealers and practices FINRA deems to be effective in helping firms improve their compliance and risk management programs. In this article, we summarize aspects of FINRA’s report, relevant to the structured products industry.

Broker Impersonates Client, Falls Afoul of FINRA

Harold A. Schwartz, a former Broker at Royal Alliance Associates INC allegedly impersonated one of his clients, in two telephone calls with the customer services hotline of an annuity company. Schwartz wound up being “permitted to resign voluntarily” from Advisor Group’s Royal Alliance wealth management firm.

Ex-Canuck Sues Financial Advisor Alleging Fraud

Former Vancouver Canucks’s Defenseman, Jason Garrison, is suing his financial advisers, alleging fraudulent financial advice for the purpose of personal profit. The suit claims the financial adviser, Richard Jones sold Jason Garrison a series of unsuitable investment vehicles and insurance policies, which cost him more than $27.6 million.

Unpaid Arbitration Awards Plague Industry

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc (FINRA)., along with the rest of the securities industry, is staring at a fresh wave of unpaid and embarrassing arbitration awards against it. Arb awards go unpaid when investors win lawsuits against broker-dealers that sold them unsuitable, faulty or troubled products only to see the B-Ds go belly up and run out of money before they can pay investor damages. 

FINRA Disciplinary Action Report: Nov 2019

Each month, the agency that regulates the financial industry, FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), produces a detailed report that runs down all disciplinary actions recently taken against brokerage firms and brokers. We strongly encourage any investor who suspects their broker and/or broker-dealer of having lost them money on dubious terms to at least skim this report to see if you recognize any names, schemes, products, or securities.

Brokers Gaming Background Check System

Unfortunately for investors looking to background check their broker, financial advisors are appealing to FINRA for the purging of key information on these reports in record numbers. This is supposed to be a rare step. It completely erases any trace of misdoing that might have blighted an advisor’s permanent record.

FINRA Disciplinary Action Report: Oct 2019

Each month, the agency that regulates the financial industry, FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), produces a detailed report that runs down all disciplinary actions recently taken against brokerage firms and brokers. We strongly encourage any investor who suspects their broker and/or broker-dealer of having lost them money on dubious terms to at least skim this report to see if you recognize any names, schemes, products, or securities.

FINRA Disciplinary Action Report: Sept 2019

Each month, the agency that regulates the financial industry, FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), produces a detailed report that runs down all disciplinary actions recently taken against brokerage firms and brokers. We strongly encourage any investor who suspects their broker and/or broker-dealer of having lost them money on dubious terms to at least skim this report to see if you recognize any names, schemes, products, or securities.