Articles Posted in SEC

Whether you are in retirement or are planning for retirement, you may consider working with a Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) to manage your retirement assets. RIAs offer professional financial advice and are bound by the fiduciary duty to act in your best interest. However, there are potential issues you should be aware of as you…

Margin accounts are a popular tool used by investors to amplify their trading power. However, margin accounts also come with increased risk, and it’s important for investors, particularly senior investors, to understand the responsibilities of their broker-dealer when trading on margin. In this blog post, we’ll explore the responsibilities of broker-dealers in margin accounts and…

One of the best ways an investor can protect the value of their investments is by equipping themselves with knowledge about common tactics scammers use to defraud investors. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have identified five of the most common techniques used in committing investment fraud. [1]…

When it comes to protecting investments, one of the most useful strategies is awareness. Investors can empower themselves by knowing the basics of the most commonly used investment fraud tactics. Per the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), three of the most common investment fraud tactics employed by scammers…

As the familiar adage goes, the higher the risk, the higher the reward. Of course, when it comes to investment strategies, risk is often one characteristic around which you can make informed decisions to mitigate or embrace, depending on your level of risk tolerance. Yet there is one investment risk – the risk of fraud…

In a stark reminder to thoroughly confirm your stockbroker’s background, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently charged a California man with defrauding investors of millions of dollars by using a patently false persona. [1] The SEC’s complaint charged Justin Costello with violations of the anti-fraud provisions of several federal securities laws as a result…

Even a well-trusted investment advisor can take advantage of their client relationships, as illustrated by a recent lawsuit brought by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Per the SEC’s September 29, 2022 complaint, Bradley Goodbred, a registered investment adviser based in Illinois, misappropriated a total of $1,295,000 from a 97-year-old client between 2012…

While it may be difficult to verify first-hand how secure your stockbroker keeps your personal information, a recent order from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shows that even the largest stockbrokers are prone to customer data breaches. On September 20, 2022, the SEC fined financial services giant Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (“MSSB”) $35 million…

Signaling the potential future of cryptocurrency regulation in the United States, Gary Gensler, the Chairman for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), shared his perspective that the majority of crypto tokens are indeed securities under U.S. law while presenting at the SEC Speaks event in early September. [1] Along with the sharing his viewpoint that…

On August 1, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged eleven individuals in connection with a cryptocurrency Ponzi and pyramid scheme. [1] The alleged scheme was perpetrated through a website called Forsage, which operates via smart contracts over the blockchain. The eleven defendants include Forsage’s four founders as well as several “promoters” of the…