Investor Blog Archives - Stoll Berne | Attorneys | Class-Action, Securities, IP, Real Estate, Business Litigation

Investor Choice Act Would Prohibit Forced Arbitration

April 29, 2021

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Bill Foster of Illinois introduced the Investor Choice Act earlier this month. The bill would prohibit broker dealers and investment advisors from forcing investors to agree to mandatory arbitration.

Missing: 200,000 Ghost Cattle

April 8, 2021

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission accused a Washington rancher, Cody Easterday and Easterday Ranches, Inc., of defrauding beef and pork producers by billing for cattle that never existed.

Categories: Investigations, Investor Blog

Arbitration Clauses in Investor Agreements

March 30, 2021

Many investors are surprised to learn that an advisory or account agreement limits or bars the investor from bringing a claim in court.

Categories: Investor Alerts, Investor Blog, Laws and Regulations

FINRA Will Release Information About Whether a Member Firm Is a Taping Firm on BrokerCheck

March 18, 2021

In Regulatory Notice 21-09, FINRA announced the adoption of new supervision and disclosure rules for brokers with a significant history of misconduct and the firms that employ them.

Categories: Investor Blog, Laws and Regulations

FINRA Panel Awards 93 Year Old Millions

February 26, 2021

Bloomberg reported about a wealthy 93 year old who brought constructive fraud, abuse of fiduciary duty, and other claims before FINRA against J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC and previously registered brokers and investment advisers.

Categories: Investor Blog, New Decision

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies May be Unsuitable for Individual Investors

February 16, 2021

Special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”), sometimes referred to as blank-check companies, have captured headlines and the attention of individual investors in recent months.

Categories: Investor Alerts, Investor Blog

Investors Sue Robinhood Over GameStop Stock Restrictions

January 29, 2021

Popular online stock trading platform Robinhood announced on January 28, 2021, “In light of recent volatility, we are restricting transactions for certain securities to position closing only, including $AAL, $AMC, $BB, $BBBY, $CTRM, $EXPR, $GME, $KOSS, $NAKD, $NOK, $SNDL, $TR, and $TRVG. We also raised margin requirements for certain securities.”

Categories: Investor Blog

TK Keen Named Administrator of Oregon’s Division of Financial Regulation

January 6, 2021

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) and its Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) announced that TK Keen, who has been serving as the acting administrator of DFR, has been officially appointed administrator of the division.

Categories: Investor Blog, Regulators and Enforcement

Margin Trading Is at Record Levels

December 29, 2020

Investors are borrowing against their portfolios at record levels, according to FINRA data about debit balances in margin accounts. As of November 2020, investors borrowed more than $722 billion against the value of their accounts.

Categories: Investor Alerts, Investor Blog

BlueCrest Settles SEC Trading Charges

December 15, 2020

BlueCrest Capital Management Limited, a United Kingdom-based investment adviser, agreed last week to pay $170 million to settle charges brought by the SEC in connection with BlueCrest’s trading.

Categories: Investor Blog, New Decision

NASAA Announces Model Rule for Continuing Education Requirements for Investment Adviser Representatives

December 2, 2020

The North American Securities Administrators Association, an organization made up of state and provincial securities regulators in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with a mission that includes protecting investors, announced a model rule for NASAA members to implement continuing education requirements for investment adviser representatives.

Categories: Investor Blog, Laws and Regulations

SEC Gives Guidance About Certain Leveraged and Complex Exchange Traded Products

November 30, 2020

Categories: Investor Blog, Laws and Regulations

Alleged Fraudster Flees from Arrest Using Submersible Sea Scooter

November 24, 2020

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California announced the arrest and indictment of Matthew Piercey in connection with a fraud and Ponzi investment scheme involving Family Wealth Legacy and Zolla.

Categories: Investor Blog

DCBS Proposes Amendment to Oregon Administrative Rule About the Use of Certifications, Designations, and Titles by Securities Professionals

November 18, 2020

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (“DCBS”), Finance and Securities Regulation recently gave notice of a proposed rulemaking to amend the rule regarding the use of special designations, professional certifications, or titles by securities professionals.

Categories: Investor Blog, Laws and Regulations

New Requirements Before Registered Representative May Be Named a Customer’s Beneficiary

November 3, 2020

In an October 29, 2020, regulatory notice, FINRA announced the adoption of a new rule that creates new requirements before any person associated with a firm regulated by FINRA obtains power of attorney or is named a beneficiary, executor, or trustee for or on behalf of a customer.

Categories: Investor Blog, Laws and Regulations, Regulators and Enforcement

SEC Declines to Implement Vetting Requirements for Investors in Leveraged and Inverse Exchange-Traded Funds

October 29, 2020

The Wall Street Journal reported that the SEC is not moving forward on a measure to require broker dealers and investment advisers to vet individual investors before permitting them to trade leveraged and inverse exchange-traded funds.

Categories: Investor Blog, Laws and Regulations, Regulators and Enforcement

Metals.com Accused of Selling Fraudulently Overpriced Gold and Silver Bullion

September 29, 2020

Metals.com and its parent company, TMTE, Inc., along with Chase Metals, LLC, Chase Metals, Inc., Barrick Capital, Inc., and its principals Lucas Asher (aka Lucas Thomas Erb, aka Luke Asher) and Simon Batashvili are alleged to have run a nationwide fraud that brought in more than $185 million in money from customers to buy fraudulently overpriced gold and silver bullion.

Categories: Investigations, Investor Alerts, Investor Blog, Laws and Regulations, Regulators and Enforcement

Investor Claims in Court and FINRA Arbitration

September 22, 2020

Mistakes made by even well-intentioned financial advisers, stock brokers, promoters, solicitors, and others who give investment advice or sell financial products sometimes come to light when markets are volatile or when a bull market ends.

Categories: Investor Alerts, Investor Blog, Laws and Regulations

Free Tools to Research Investment Firms and Individuals

September 17, 2020

Investors have access to free electronic search tools through self-regulatory organizations, federal, and state regulators to research investment firms and professionals. This post describes several free tools that give access to information beyond what you can learn using Google and other search engines.

Categories: Investor Alerts, Investor Blog, Laws and Regulations, Regulators and Enforcement

SEC Expands the Definition of Accredited Investor

August 27, 2020

On August 26, 2020, the SEC adopted amendments to the definition of “accredited investor.” Many private capital market offerings...

Categories: Investor Alerts, Investor Blog, Laws and Regulations

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Investor Choice Act Would Prohibit Forced Arbitration

Missing: 200,000 Ghost Cattle

Arbitration Clauses in Investor Agreements

FINRA Will Release Information About Whether a Member Firm Is a Taping Firm on BrokerCheck

FINRA Panel Awards 93 Year Old Millions

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies May be Unsuitable for Individual Investors

Investors Sue Robinhood Over GameStop Stock Restrictions

TK Keen Named Administrator of Oregon’s Division of Financial Regulation

Margin Trading Is at Record Levels

BlueCrest Settles SEC Trading Charges

NASAA Announces Model Rule for Continuing Education Requirements for Investment Adviser Representatives

SEC Gives Guidance About Certain Leveraged and Complex Exchange Traded Products

Alleged Fraudster Flees from Arrest Using Submersible Sea Scooter

DCBS Proposes Amendment to Oregon Administrative Rule About the Use of Certifications, Designations, and Titles by Securities Professionals

New Requirements Before Registered Representative May Be Named a Customer’s Beneficiary

SEC Declines to Implement Vetting Requirements for Investors in Leveraged and Inverse Exchange-Traded Funds

Metals.com Accused of Selling Fraudulently Overpriced Gold and Silver Bullion

Investor Claims in Court and FINRA Arbitration

Free Tools to Research Investment Firms and Individuals

SEC Expands the Definition of Accredited Investor