In a recent Reuters article, they write that FINRA, or The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, is examining major brokerages regarding potential conflicts of interest and financial incentives associated with the sale of complex securities, said the Wall Street regulator's chief. Richard Ketchum, FINRA's chairman and chief executive, said that FINRA is looking "very closely" at […]

In a recent MoneyWatch article, Steve Vernon writes that investment fraud and financial abuse targeting the elderly is a major problem today, according to a recent survey by the Investor Protection Trust and Investor Protection Institute. The top three ways in which seniors are exploited are: Theft of diversion of funds or property by caregivers […]

The following article appeared October 4th., 2012, in The Patriot Ledger, and was written by Steve Adams. "Financial Company on the Hook for Quincy Scammer" By Steve Adams The Patriot Ledger Posted Oct 04, 2012 @ 06:06 AM QUINCY — A couple who lost $255,000 to a Quincy financial adviser’s investment scam will receive a […]

Broker-dealers' falling short in due diligence when selling complex, illiquid products has been a focus of FINRA examinations and fines since the market collapse of 2008, writes Bruce Kelly of InvestmentNews.com. FINRA recently fined and sanctioned a handful of broker-dealers that sold two series of private placements that imploded in 2009 — Medical Capital Holdings […]

FINRA Case Number 11-01278, awards $158,250.00 to the defrauded Claimants for the alleged supervisory failures of Harvest Capital, LLC, of Gregg Rennie and his branch office. Rennie is now serving a prison sentence for selling fictitious notes to investors. Since early 2007, Gregg Rennie, the popular radio host and financial advisor, defrauded numerous clients approximately […]

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority also known as FINRA, is hoping to make information about brokers more accessible to the investors, which they feel would hold those in the industry more accountable for their actions. In September, FINRA voted to submit proposals to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that would make information in […]

Carlos Dawkins aka Andy Dawkins (CRD #5340915, Registered Representative, Douglasville, Georgia) submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he was barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity. Without admitting or denying the findings, Dawkins consented to the described sanction and to the entry of findings that he improperly shared […]

Stephen Paul Tommelleo (CRD #1597585, Registered Principal, Boca Raton, Florida) submitted a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which he was fined $5,000, suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for three months and ordered to pay $14,990, plus interest, in restitution to a customer. Without admitting or denying the findings, […]

Stephen Nietsch (CRD #3111082, Registered Representative, Boynton Beach, Florida) was barred from association with any FINRA member in any capacity and ordered to pay $20,000, plus interest, in restitution to a customer. The sanctions were based on findings that Nietsch borrowed $20,000 from an elderly customer contrary to his member firm’s procedures prohibiting him from […]