U.S. stock markets continue to rally this week amid optimism around President Trump’s economic plans. Reaching a historic high on Monday, S&P 500 topped $20 trillion. This latest rally is a part of the ongoing boost stock market indices have been enjoying as economists wait for the Trump Administration to…
Many passive investors are happy just leaving their investments at the hands of their brokerage firms. Many investors opt review brokerage activity via a monthly overview statement rather than from a hands-on approach. Broker-dealers handling investment accounts are free to make most decisions on quantity and frequency of investment securities.…
We’ve talked a lot about investment scams in the past. Fraudsters are always finding new ways to take advantage of unwitting investors. However, there are several top investment scams that fraudsters favor and which serve as the basis for many new types of investment fraud. Investors should recognize most of…
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that investors should be on the lookout for fraudulent claims using Forms 4. A Form 4 is filed when investment insiders (officers, directors and anyone holding 10% or more in company securities) execute transactions. A Form 4, which must be filed within…
Anytime you decide to invest, you always do background research on the asset or security, right? It is important to know the why and how of an asset or security’s performance before deciding to invest. Shouldn’t this be the same for your investment broker? Whatever security in which you invest,…
Risk-taking is a natural part of making financial investments These should be calculated risks, though; risks based on performance projections of whatever is being invested in. Though financial investments should not include those unforeseen or unaccounted for risks like fraud, investors are constantly facing it. In the event that your…
Brokerage oversight is getting a fresh pair of eyes This week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) indicated that it would be calling on a need for more oversight from its financial regulation partner, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The decision to shift responsibility comes with an SEC initiative…
Investment scams are the last thing people want to worry about following a natural disaster. Last week, Hurricane Matthew swept along Florida’s east coast on its way to the Carolinas. Major property damage was experienced in northeast Florida, coastal Georgia and North and South Carolina due to flooding. Natural disasters…
Bad Week for Big Banks Some of the nation’s top banks are facing another bad week, legally and financially as they are subjected to increased scrutiny and demand for reparations from federal regulators. Wells Fargo faces a continued inquest into the extent of its accounts fraud scandal as regional and…
The Cause Big banks on Wall Street had been left unchecked for too long and the introduction of sub-prime lending tactics sealed the fate of U.S. financial stability. A culture of smoke-and-mirrors misleading consumers, coupled with a dire lack of regulatory oversight allowed big banks to run rampant. Years of…