Securities

Investor Alert: Affinity Fraud

Affinity scams are frauds that rely on affinity groups in order to perpetuate themselves, hence the name. Affinity groups are groups of people, from small to very large groups, who are affiliated based on a common interest or identity. Examples of large affinity groups include religious groups and racial minorities, ethnic groups, law enforcement personnel, members of a country club, or an alumni network.

FINRA Disciplinary Action Report - November 2018

November 2018. 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 - October 2018

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 - September 2018

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 August 2018

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 July 2018

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.

Do FINRA's Reforms Go Far Enough to Stop Bad Brokers?

FINRA has not only made it costlier for member-firms who hire bad brokers with a checkered past, but it also took over the duty of verifying that brokers provide accurate and truthful information on their employment history forms.

How to Protect Yourself Against Investment Fraud: 5 Questions

What can you do, oh unsophisticated investor, to protect yourself against the attacks and traps of some of history's most dastardly fraudsters? For a start you can ask yourself the following 5 questions about investment fraud - and answer them as honestly as possible. Remember, when you're trying to protect yourself from the deception, the last thing you want to do is self-deceive!

What Investors Should Know about BrokerCheck

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the watchdog for the securities industry, operates a Yelp or Angie’s List-style database called BrokerCheck. This powerful resource compiles accreditation, work history, and perhaps most importantly customer dispute history on all 650,000 or so registered financial advisors in this country.

Wells Fargo Fined $500,000 over Structured Products

Investment products that offer alternatives to stocks and bonds tend to be both more complex—and more risky—than traditional investments, and often tempt investors with special features and higher returns than offered by basic investments.

SEC Charges Former Aegis Broker Malcolm Segal With Ponzi Scheme

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a litigation release to the public concerning Pennsylvania-based financial advisor Malcolm Segal. The SEC charged Malcolm Segal with numerous violations, including the operation of a Ponzi Scheme and stealing investor money to enrich himself.

Brokerage Fined $10M+ for Failure to Supervise Brokers

Many investors are not aware that the broker-dealer firm with whom their financial advisor is registered has a legal obligation to reasonably supervise its employees. Accordingly, firms that fail to adequately supervise agents may be fined and penalized by regulators.

Brokerages Create Illusion of Fiduciary Duty Through Savvy Marketing

Misleading advertising prevalent among brokerage firms lulls investors into a false sense of security over their investments. They stop checking up on their accounts and their broker because they trust him or her; they’ve been told that is, along with access to information and expertise, the main reason to invest with him or her.

Non Traditional ETFs Bury Gold Rushing Broker and Customers

Leveraged ETFs are one form of what are called nontraditional ETFs (the other form being inverse ETFs) which track a market benchmark, deliver multiples of return on that benchmark, and are designed to be traded on a single day only.