tampa Tag Archives — Securities Fraud Lawyers Blog

Investing 101: Don’t Fall Victim to Fraudulent Stock Promotions

Published on: May 30, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

You know that stock investing comes with risks. Along with anticipated risks associated with the nature of stock trading, you also face risks associated with fraud. Some of the most widespread forms of stock fraud are carried out through fraudulent stock promotions.

What Are Fraudulent Stock Promotions?

In fraudulent stock promotion scams, fraudsters hype a certain stock to generate investor buzz. Once a buy frenzy occurs, fraudsters will quickly sell off their shares, leaving investors to take the hit.

Senior Investor Alert: 5 Easy Ways to Spot Scams Targeting Your Nest Egg

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

If you’re a senior investor, you’ve likely been planning and saving for years to build your portfolio. You have rightfully earned everything you have accrued over the years and you deserve to realize the fruits of that labor in your golden years.

Unfortunately, your nest egg marks you as a target for investment fraud. Scammers like to prey on what they consider “easy targets” – those without the means to defend or protect themselves against investment fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has regularly cited senior investor scams as a chronic fraud issue. Most recently, the SEC has pointed to Ponzi schemes as a major vehicle for perpetrating investment fraud against seniors.

Ponzi Schemes Targeting Seniors

5 Common Investment Rules You Should Be Following

Published on: April 30, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Investment advice comes from everywhere… even if you don’t ask for it.

Everybody thinks they’ve got “the answer” when it comes to investing and everybody wants to share their secret to success. That’s why you’ve likely been offered quite a few tidbits of investing advice from everyone from your cousin to your neighbor. The truth is (and you’ve probably realized) that most of these sources aren’t actually qualified to be giving investment advice.

While you should definitely take unsolicited investment advice with a grain of salt, there are some tried-and-true pillars of investment knowledge that you should keep in mind. These common investment rules can help you on your investment journey. Not only can they help you map out your investment goals, but they can help you plan and manage for the future. Keeping in mind these investment rules can help you maintain a focused investment strategy and avoid common pitfalls.

SEC Publishes New Guidelines for Disclosing Cybersecurity Risks to Investors

Published on: March 30, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Understanding Cybersecurity Risks

In today’s digital age, the use of technology to facilitate investments has become largely commonplace. We can see many examples of how investing has moved to the cyber-realm from online investing platforms to robo-advisers. While this has greatly empowered investors to take more direct control over their investment strategy, it has also increased the potential vulnerability to cyber fraud and theft.

“In a digitally connected world, cybersecurity presents ongoing risks and threats to our capital markets and to companies operating in all industries, including public companies…”

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.

Fair Lending Enforcement Roll-Backs at CFPB Could be Sign of Changing Times

Published on: February 23, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Could this be the beginning of the end of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as we know it?

This month The Trump administration, through acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney, announced sizeable restrictions to CFPB’s enforcement and day-to-day oversight of the financial industry’s fair lending practices. The move comes shortly after Mulvaney was installed as Acting Director following the departure of Richard Cordray.

Speculation of the CFPB’s impending dismantlement under the Trump Administration has been swirling since the election and this is just one of the latest in a series of moves pertaining to the CFPB that lends some credence to that speculation.

My Big Co(i)n: Cryptocurrency Scams Play on Same Old Tricks

Published on: February 2, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Bitcoin – Big Coin – Bitcoin – Big Coin…

Read that over a few times. Are those two words beginning to sound similar?

That’s what the founders of My Big Coin, Inc. were hoping when they created their cryptocurrency investment offering. The Nevada-based company has been accused of defrauding investors hoping to cash-in on the recent investment trend.

Regulators’ Concerns Grow Amid Cryptocurrency Investing Boom

Published on: January 5, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

“Cryptocurrency”, “blockchain”

These are the buzz words among investors as we head into 2018. Building on the success and popularity of Bitcoin – which seems to be hitting new record highs every week – has caused a stir among investors, and it’s getting the attention of businesses.

As investors look to find out how they can invest in the emerging cryptocurrency boom, startups and businesses are trying to find ways to capitalize. Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) have started popping up as opportunities for investors to get involved with cryptocurrency investing at ground-level. However, financial regulators say investors need to be aware of fraud risks.

Saving for College: FAQs About Opening a 529 Account

Published on: December 15, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

With another new year just around the corner, you may be thinking about financial planning as a part of your New Year’s resolutions. For those of you with a newborns or young children in the family, you may be thinking about opening a college savings plan.

A 529 account can be a great way for parents and grandparents to start a college savings plan. Here’s some commonly asked questions about opening a 529 account.

Who can use a 529 savings plan?

Investing 101: Wrap Fees Explained

Published on: December 8, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

If you’ve looked into hiring an investment adviser or advisory firm to help manage your investments, you may have seen some offer various advisory services bundled together under one comprehensive fee. These types of service fees are called wrap fees and are offered as sponsored packages by many advisory firms.

With wrap fee programs, your advisor or firm serves as the “sponsor” for the program; essentially the liaison between you and your service offerings. Typically, the fee for these types of programs is determined by the overall value of your investment account. While it may seem easy enough on your end to just pay one flat fee for a bundling of advisory services, there are things you need to watch for when considering wrap fee programs.

Understanding Wrap Fees