investment attorney Tag Archives — Securities Fraud Lawyers Blog

Wells Fargo’s Wealth-Management Business Under Scrutiny

Published on: March 15, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Industry watchdogs turn their focus on Wells’ wealth-management services

It seems that we may not have yet seen the end of the Wells Fargo accounts scandal. The Justice Department has taken an increased interest in Wells Fargo’s wealth-management unit following whistle-blower claims that the bank’s wealth-management customers have been affected.

According to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article, the Justice Department ordered Wells Fargo to conduct an investigation into the bank’s own wealth-management business, in response to claims of unfair practices. The investigation into any potential wrong-doing is the first focused on services offered by Wells Fargo outside banking, namely its financial and investment advisory business.

Wells Fargo Offers New Robo-Advising Platform

Published on: October 27, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Banking giant, Wells Fargo, recently rolled out a new robo-advising platform aimed at enticing first-time investors to invest through Wells Fargo-packaged investment offerings. The unveiling of the automated advisory platform marks the latest in a concerted effort by large-scale financial institutions to capitalize on tech-savvy consumers and meet the changing demands of a digital marketplace.

Robo-advising has grown as an increasingly popular platform for investors who seek more autonomy in their investment decisions as well as expedited trading.

What is Robo-advising?

(Capital) Loss Can Be Your Gain: Leverage Your Stock Loss into Tax Deductions!

Published on: October 18, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Nobody wants to lose out on an investment, but did you know that stock loss – also known as capital loss – can actually be leveraged into savings on future investments through tax deductions? While it may sound strange, converting stock loss into savings is actually a widely used strategy for many seasoned investors.

Once you understand how tax laws apply to your capital losses, you will quickly see the benefits of reporting them. You will be able to form strategies that actually take advantage of stock losses ahead of time. Once an investment starts to head south, you’ll be able to make the right decisions to mitigate that loss.

Stock Loss Deductions

Fraud Watch: Beware of Senior Financial Scams

Published on: October 13, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

A recent report shows that senior citizens have become one of the largest demographic groups target by financial scams and investment fraud. In the past, we’ve offered tips for preventing elder financial abuse, but it seems that the problem is much more aggressive than just making sure that you take steps to protect your investments.

According to the recent report, Americans 62 and older are the targets of widespread and rampant financial abuse.

And these scams aren’t being perpetrated by the seedy criminals you’d expect to be preying on the elderly; instead, the report shows that these senior financial scams are perpetuated by the very people that should be helping you make smart and secure financial decisions. People like:

3 Tips for Protecting Your Investments Against Ransomware

Published on: June 23, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

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 online data is ransomware.

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a computer virus that targets your computers digital files and literally holds them for ransom until a payment is sent for their release. So far this year, we have already experienced two widespread ransomware attacks: the WannaCry virus, back in May, and now the Petya virus in June.

Common Online Trading Myths

Published on: June 19, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Nowadays, online trading has become a preferred method for many investors. From casual, at-home investors to more seasoned investors, online trading provides an accessible and efficient platform for securities trading.

While online trading has grown in popularity, there are still some common misconceptions about it. You may have heard someone telling you that online trading is not secure or that you don’t have access to actionable investment advice with these platforms.

This is untrue.

Why Top Investment Banks are Leaving London

Published on: May 5, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Brexit, Meet ‘Banxit’

When Britain announced its decision to formally leave the European Union (EU), it raised a lot of uncertainty. While the decision caused global unsettling, probably the most anxious was the international investment banking community.

Until now, Britain, specifically London, has been the undisputed epicenter of investment banking, next to Wall Street. In fact most top-tier U.S. investment banks housed their international headquarters in London. Now, as Britain enters into formal exit discussions, these banks are beginning to look elsewhere.

What to Know About About Robo-Advisor Investing

Published on: February 24, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has released an investor bulletin for investors to understand the fundamentals of robo-advisor investing, or the practice of using automated investment platforms.

Robo-advisor investing has risen in popularity, especially among d-i-y and at-home investors due to the relatively low cost compared to traditional investing and expedited nature of deals.

With this rise in popularity, however, risks are bound to follow. Automated trading platforms may be vulnerable to hacking and computer fraud.