The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced that it has fined Berthel Fisher & Company Financial Services, Inc. and its affiliate, Securities Management & Research, Inc., of Marion, Iowa, a combined total of $775,000. This fine was for supervisory deficiencies, which included Berthel Fisher's failure to supervise the sale of non-traded real estate investment trusts […]

The following information is from FINRA’s website under “Disciplinary and Other FINRA Actions, October, 2013.” Michael Eugene French (CRD #819126, Registered Supervisor, Essex, Vermont) was fined $25,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for three months. Without admitting or denying the findings, French consented to the described sanctions and to […]

The following information is from FINRA’s website under “Disciplinary and Other FINRA Actions, October, 2013.” Michael Eugene French (CRD #819126, Registered Supervisor, Essex, Vermont) was fined $25,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for three months. Without admitting or denying the findings, French consented to the described sanctions and to […]

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (FINRA) released its 2013 regulatory and examination priorities letter. The annual letter alerts the broker-dealer community to what Finra examiners will be looking for in the coming year. FINRA will continue to watch yield-oriented products this year but FINRA also will be focusing on business development companies (BDCs), exchange-traded […]

Moshar v. Wells Fargo, FINRA ID # 11-00556 (Los Angeles, CA, 1/9/2013) A couple was recently awarded $1,333,300 in compensatory damages through a FINRA arbitration. The claimants charged Wells Fargo with the following: breach of fiduciary duty, breach of written contract, fraud by misrepresentation and omission, failure to supervise and control, and violation of federal […]

Soreide Law Group is filing FINRA Arbitrations on behalf of investors who invested in Direxion 3x Funds: FAZ, ERY, BGZ, and TZA.  Leveraged ETF’s have now imploded and regulators and investors have finally woken up and are beginning to pay attention. Major fines have just been handed down to the industries top brokerage houses for […]

In a February 16th., 2012, article in InvestmentNews.com, Jason Kephart writes that John Bogle, founder of The Vanguard Group Inc., believes low-cost, passive indexes are the best way to invest — as long as they're not offered through an exchange-traded fund. “There's no question that ETFs are the greatest trading innovation of the 21st century,” […]

In a June 20, 2011, article from Bloomberg News, it was reported that Massachusetts' top securities regulator is suing RBC Capital Markets LLC and one of its former registered representatives over the sale of leveraged exchange-traded funds, saying they sold them to clients who didn't understand how the investments worked. The Massachusetts Secretary of the […]