Understanding Index Funds There’s a lot of ways you can get involved in securities investing. Some of the most popular methods are through the use of what are called index funds. An index fund is a type of mutual fund that tracks the performance and returns of a market index.…
There’s a new wild west. The internet age has brought bank robbers from the prairie plains to the world wide web. As investors and brokerage firms increasingly rely on computers for processing trades and managing portfolios, the risk of your investment data increases too. One of the biggest threats to…
We’ve all seen bad actors in movies and T.V., but did you know that bad actors can be found on Wall Street and other financial industry institutions? The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently released a statement outlining the need for checks-and-balances against bad actors. What are bad actors? FINRA…
The investment world is pretty cut-and-dry; either you win, or you lose. Not much can be said for losing, after all, it’s part of the game. Usually when you lose out on an investment, it’s due to the fact that you didn’t account for certain risks. However, there are some…
Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) amended standing rules regarding broker-dealer securities transaction settlement cycles. The new rules shorten the amount of time between when an investment transaction is placed and when it is actually processed. Previously, the transaction settlement cycle was set as “T+3”. This refers to…
Customer Advisory Centers vs. Call Centers Although they sound similar, customer advisory centers differ from call centers in several important ways. Securities firms and investment broker-dealers typically rely on call centers to handle basic customer service issues and administrative functions. They do not provide investment or trading advice, nor do…