Posts belonging to Category Smart Investing Tools
Posted by Page PerryonDecember 20, 2012
Wells Timberland REIT recently revised the estimated value of its shares down to $6.56 per share, 34.4% below its 2006 initial public offering price of $10 per share. The new estimate is reportedly based on appraisal information from a forest consulting firm and a certified public accounting firm; however, the REIT’s board made the new […]
Categories: Alternative Investments, Brokerage Firms, Common Securities Broker Abuses, Fairness/Just & Equitable Conduct, Investment Advisers, Investment Malpractice, Investor Alerts, Misrepresentation/Omission, Nontraded REITs, REITs, Securities, Securities/Commodities Arbitration, Securities/Commodities Litigation, Smart Investing Tools, Unsuitable Recommendations
Posted by Page PerryonDecember 14, 2012
CNNMoney’s well-respected senior editor-at-large, Allan Sloan, has a warning for municipal bond investors ? look out below, because even investment grade municipal bonds are mega-inflated by lighter-than-air interest rates and are sure to pop when interest rates (and tax rates) rise. Repeat: high grade munis, he says, are at risk (“Municipal bonds: A train wreck […]
Categories: Bonds, Brokerage Firms, Common Securities Broker Abuses, Elder Abuses, Investment Advisers, Investor Alerts, Market Developments, Municipal Bonds, Securities, Securities/Commodities Arbitration, Securities/Commodities Litigation, Smart Investing Tools
Posted by Page PerryonDecember 12, 2012
Massachusetts has filed fraud charges against two out-of-state companies, Prodigy Oil and Gas LLC and Synergy Oil LLC, in connection with their sale of unregistered securities to Massachusetts investors. Prodigy raised at least $464,000 from one Massachusetts investor and Synergy raised $35,000 from two investors, according to Commonwealth Secretary William Gavin’s complaint.
Categories: Brokerage Firms, Common Securities Broker Abuses, Crowd Funding, Disciplinary Actions, Fairness/Just & Equitable Conduct, Investigations, Investment Advisers, Investment Malpractice, Investor Alerts, Misrepresentation/Omission, Private Investments/Reg D, Regulatory Developments, Securities, Securities/Commodities Arbitration, Securities/Commodities Litigation, Smart Investing Tools, Unsuitable Recommendations
Posted by Page PerryonDecember 7, 2012
American investors’ confidence and risk tolerance remain low despite the stock market rebound. The 2008 global financial crisis, the dot com bubble burst before that, and a volatile stock market dominated by hedge funds and computerized trading appears to have permanently reset the risk parameters of most older investors. According to a recent study (the […]
Categories: Brokerage Firms, Early Retirement Scams, Elder Abuses, Investment Advisers, Market Developments, Securities, Securities/Commodities Arbitration, Securities/Commodities Litigation, Smart Investing Tools
Posted by Page PerryonDecember 7, 2012
Choosing a financial adviser is a critical decision that should be approached with thought and care. Before choosing one, it is important to understand the different types of advisers and know which type you are seeking. A recent Wall Street Journal article offered some good tips.
Categories: Brokerage Firms, Investment Advisers, Investor Alerts, Securities, Securities/Commodities Arbitration, Securities/Commodities Litigation, Smart Investing Tools
Posted by Page PerryonDecember 6, 2012
Financial exploitation of the elderly is a serious and growing problem that has affected, and sometimes devastated, many lives. We hear most often about exploitation by scam artists who are, at least initially, strangers to the victim. What may come as a shock is the fact that exploitation by trusted family members and others close […]
Categories: A General Overview, Affinity Fraud, Brokerage Firms, Common Securities Broker Abuses, Early Retirement Scams, Elder Abuses, Fairness/Just & Equitable Conduct, Investment Advisers, Investment Malpractice, Investor Alerts, Misrepresentation/Omission, Securities, Securities/Commodities Arbitration, Securities/Commodities Litigation, Smart Investing Tools, Unauthorized Trading, Unsuitable Recommendations
Posted by Page PerryonNovember 30, 2012
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is considering a rule change that would require firms to disclose brokers’ recruitment compensation packages to transferring customers. Brokers who are recruited to change firms often receive financial incentives that may subtly encorage them to engage in unlawful sales practices, such as churning and unsuitable sales, in order to generate […]
Categories: Brokerage Firms, Churning, Common Securities Broker Abuses, Employment Issues, Fairness/Just & Equitable Conduct, Investment Advisers, Investment Malpractice, Investor Alerts, Investor Rights, Misrepresentation/Omission, Regulatory Developments, Securities, Securities/Commodities Arbitration, Securities/Commodities Litigation, Smart Investing Tools, Unsuitable Recommendations
Posted by Page PerryonNovember 29, 2012
Investors are urged to be cautious about purchasing structured notes. Brokers are on track to sell more than $10 billion of structured notes linked to the S&P 500 stock index this year. In fact, sales will reach the highest levels in at least three years, according to Bloomberg (“Structured Notes Tied to S&P 500 Set […]
Categories: Alternative Investments, Brokerage Firms, Common Securities Broker Abuses, Derivatives, Fairness/Just & Equitable Conduct, Investment Advisers, Investment Malpractice, Investor Alerts, Misrepresentation/Omission, Reverse Convertibles, Securities, Securities/Commodities Arbitration, Securities/Commodities Litigation, Smart Investing Tools, Structured Notes, Unsuitable Recommendations
Posted by Page PerryonNovember 15, 2012
The Securities and Exchange Commission has ramped up enforcement actions against investment advisors, broker-dealers and senior executives over the past two years, the agency said in a statement. SEC Chairman Mary Shapiro attributed the increased activity in part to a reorganization that includes special units staffed by experts in the complex financial products and transactions […]
Categories: Brokerage Firms, Closed End Funds, Common Securities Broker Abuses, Investment Advisers, Investment Malpractice, Investor Alerts, Money Market Funds, Mutual Funds, Regulatory Developments, Securities, Securities/Commodities Arbitration, Securities/Commodities Litigation, Smart Investing Tools
Posted by Page PerryonNovember 1, 2012
The stockbroker to portfolio manager trend has been going on for several years and can carry significant risks for investors. (See InvestmentNews, “I’m a rep, I’m a PM, too”). In most broker-as-portfolio-manager programs, the broker has complete discretion to purchase and sell securities (i.e., manage the account) like an investment advisory representative, restricted only by […]
Categories: A General Overview, Brokerage Firms, Common Securities Broker Abuses, Early Retirement Scams, Elder Abuses, Investment Advisers, Investment Malpractice, Securities, Securities/Commodities Arbitration, Securities/Commodities Litigation, Smart Investing Tools