Articles Posted in Investor Protection

We aggressively protect our client’s rights, whether they’re businesses, investors, financial professionals, or whistleblowers. The tools of our trade are federal and state laws that regulate the securities industry and protect those who may be abused by it. Other laws or legal doctrines may also apply to participants in the securities industry. They include state…

Short selling is selling a share of stock that you do not own. In order to engage in a short sale (with a few exceptions), a short seller is required to locate and borrow a share of stock before it engages in a short sale. Short selling is an artifice that our securities regulators allow…

If you are an investor, how can you research a broker before turning over your hard-earned savings to them? The SEC, FINRA, state securities regulators, and others encourage investors to research a broker before turning over your hard-earned money to that broker to invest. The primary tool that these regulators and others recommend investors use…

With good reason, financial elder abuse has been characterized by some experts as “the crime of the 21st Century.” – Broken Trust: Elders, Family and Finances. Metlife Study, March 2009 The second edition of Aging and Money was just released including a chapter that I co-wrote with Lisa Bleier of SIFMA, entitled Perspectives from Financial…

Many people are understandably concerned about their investments right now (spring 2020). News of the global pandemic is enough to cause the resolve of even the most steadfast investor to falter. Why are Investors at Risk of Making Bad Investment Decisions? We have never had a time where this kind of stress was affecting this…

Beware the substantial risks of buying annuities, particularly when you are older. When you buy an annuity you pay a chunk of money to an insurance company to get payments in the future. Sounds good, but for excessive fees you pay and the fact that you lose access to your money. What if you or…

Fran Tarkenton loves equity indexed annuities. That does not mean you should. Tarkenton is 79 years old and encouraging elders to purchase equity indexed annuities (also called fixed indexed annuities) as a way to protect themselves from elder financial abuse. That’s right. Fran Tarkenton is encouraging elders to purchase these high fees, non-liquid insurance products…

The American Bar Association recently published some very helpful guidance for lawyers in considering client capacity to make legal and other decisions. The most important directive is that the correct question is NOT whether a client has capacity — it is whether a client has capacity TO DO A PARTICULAR THING. Persons with significant cognitive…

Would you fix a pipe if you thought it might be leaking? Just like pipes in your home, your retirement accounts can be leaking excessive fees — which is money you could use in retirement. If you have a retirement account — like a 401(k) or 403(b) account — with a small or medium-sized employer,…

What should you do if you discover that your mother, father, or an elderly relative has inappropriate or suspicious investments? Do not ignore it. As difficult as this situation is for families, it is important to take action to protect our elderly family members before they lose a lifetime of hard-earned savings. Research 1) Go…