Investors who were sold private credit funds by FINRA-registered broker-dealers may have sustained significant losses as redemption restrictions, declining net asset values (NAV), and liquidity problems continue to surface across several major products. Broker-dealers including LPL Financial, Ameriprise Financial, Osaic, and Cetera Financial Group have been among the distribution channels for these products. These funds […]

The following article was found on FINRA's website: Tradespot Markets Inc. (CRD #29683, Davie, Florida) and Mark Bedros Beloyan (CRD #1392748, Registered Principal, Davie, Florida) submitted an Offer of Settlement in which the firm was censured and fined $25,000, and Beloyan was suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for one month […]

In a September 7, 2011 article in InvestmentNews.com, Bruce Kelly writes that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (FINRA), living up to its warnings of this year, said today that it has fined several firms for overcharging for postage and handling. The article states that in May, Finra chief executive Richard Ketchum warned an audience of brokerage […]

WASHINGTON —It was announced July 20, 2011, on FINRA's website that The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has suspended William Bailey, a former NEXT Financial Group, Inc. broker of Mesa, Arizona, from the securities industry for two years for unsuitable and excessive trading of mutual funds and variable annuities. Bailey also engaged in discretionary trading without […]

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 […]

In a July, 2011, article by Liz Skinner for InvestmentNews.com, she writes that Wedbush Securities Inc. was ordered to pay a former municipal sales trader Stephen Kelleher $3.5 million for failing to give him years worth of incentive-based compensation he was owed. A three-person Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (FINRA) panel found the firm's “morally […]

In a June 29, 2011, article by Bruce Kelly for InvestmentNews.com he writes that as part of a settlement with eight states and the Securities and Exchange Commission, Raymond James Financial Inc. will buy back $300 million in auction-rate securities from clients and pay a fine of $1.7 million. The states in charge of the […]

The following information was posted on Raymond James' website: Raymond James Offer to purchase eligible auction rate securities After providing ready liquidity to investors for over 23 years, in mid-February 2008 the Auction Rate Securities (ARS) market reacted to the unprecedented contractions in the credit markets, resulting in widespread auction failures. While some issuers have […]

In a June 28, 2011, article written by Darla Mercado for InvestmentNews.com, she writes that Finra's variable annuity suitability rule should be old news to broker-dealers, but firms that want to avoid an arbitration land mine ought to review their procedures. This warning came from Andrew A. Favret, associate vice president and regional chief counsel […]