Every week we hear about people who gave money to a promoter offering “guaranteed returns.” About the only thing guaranteed is the loss of all or most your money. Unless you are putting money into government savings bond, nothing is guaranteed. (Many of our readers would question the safety of savings bonds!) One of the […]
Stock Fraud Post – "Outside Business Activities"
Stock fraud is a hot topic these days. With interest rates at all time lows, investors are demanding higher returns. Financial professionals such as stockbrokers and investment advisers have limited options. Although there are some high yield alternative investments available, most are too risky for the average investor. Good brokers are honest with their clients […]
Lincoln Financial Advisors Rep Sanctioned By FINRA
Lincoln Financial Advisors says it wants to be the country’s “premier fee-based financial planning firm.” A recent decision by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) Enforcement Department suggests that the firm is off to a rocky start. FINRA sanctioned former registered rep and investment advisor William Babb III with “trading away” and failure to cooperate […]
Success Trades Securities In Trouble? FINRA Says Yes (stockbroker fraud post)
by Brian Mahany Success Trades Securities has a great name. They also have the financial backing of many NFL and NBA players. Regulators say that some of these players invested in the company in exchange for a promised rate of return between 12 and 26%. Banking news source bank rate.com says the average interest rate […]
"Should I Stay or Should I Go" – FINRA's New Suitability Rules (Stockbroker Fraud)
by Brian Mahany “One day is fine, next is black So if you want me off your back Well come on and let me know Should I stay or should I go? … If If I go there will be trouble An if I stay it will be double… Should I stay or should I go…” […]
December 11th, A Date That Will Live In Infamy – Investment Fraud Blog Post
by Brian Mahany History buffs will remember President Roosevelt’s famous speech after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He started that speech by saying, “Yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date that will in infamy…” He went on to inform a shocked nation about the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. A little more recently, December 11th has […]
Cal Appeals Court Helps Bad Brokers Hide Their Record From Investors
by Brian Mahany We have long been a fan of BrokerCheck, the free web based database that allows the public to see what type of complaint and disciplinary history their broker has. To be sure, the system has some flaws but it is still a great way to perform your own due diligence on stockbrokers. […]
"There Just Isn't Enough Money To Pay Everybody"
by Brian Mahany The title of this blog is actually a quote from Joseph Borg, director of the Alabama Securities Commission. Borg testified before a Congressional subcommittee examining proposals to help Ponzi scheme victims. Congress wants SIPC (the Securities Investors Protection Corp.) to reimburse more victims for their losses. Those sentiments are laudable and make […]