SLCG Economic Consulting's Logo

Resources

Blog

Our experts frequently write blog posts about the findings of the research we are conducting.

Filter by:

Displaying 671-680 out of 692 results

FINRA Press Release: Morgan Keegan

FINRA Files Complaint Against Morgan Keegan & Company for Misleading Customers Regarding Risks of Bond Funds and Advertising, Other Violations

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a press release today announcing that

"it has filed a complaint against Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc., charging the firm with marketing and selling seven affiliated bond funds to investors using false and misleading sales materials - costing investors well over $1 billion. In addition...

SLCG Research: Mutual Fund's Term

SLCG released today 'What Does a Mutual Fund's Term Tell Investors?'

Bond mutual funds are classified by Morningstar as ultra short, short, intermediate or long-term. Bond mutual funds have found a way to hold long-term bonds while being classified as ultra-short or short.

In this paper, we demonstrate how the losses suffered by these funds in 2008 can be explained by the increasing credit risks of holding long-term bonds. Furthermore, we find that the classification of these funds as...

FINRA Press Release: Provident Asset Management

Dallas-based Provident Asset Management Expelled for Marketing Fraudulent Private Placements Offered by Affiliate in Massive Ponzi Scheme

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a press release today announcing that

"it has expelled Provident Asset Management, LLC, a Dallas-based broker-dealer, for marketing a series of fraudulent private placements offered by its affiliate, Provident Royalties, LLC, in a massive Ponzi scheme."

A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent scheme...

FINRA Fines H&R Block Financial Advisors

FINRA Fines H&R Block Financial Advisors $200,000 for Inadequate Supervision of Reverse Convertible Notes Sales, Suspends and Fines Broker for Unsuitable Sales to Retired Couple

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a press release today announcing that it had

[fined] H&R Block Financial Advisors, Inc., (n/k/a Ameriprise Advisor Services, Inc.) $200,000 for failing to establish adequate supervisory systems and procedures for supervising sales of [reverse convertible...

FINRA Regulatory Notice: Reverse Convertibles

FINRA Reminds Firms of Their Sales Practice Obligations With Reverse Exchangeable Securities (Reverse Convertibles)

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published Regulatory Notice 10-09 reminding financial firms selling reverse convertibles notes (RCN) to provide fair and balanced sales materials and communications, including proper statement on the risks associated with such notes.

In an upcoming SLCG study on RCN, we have found that investors of RCNs have been...

FINRA Regulatory Notice: Variable Annuities

FINRA Reminds Firms of Their Responsibilities Under FINRA Rule 2330 for Recommended Purchases or Exchanges of Deferred Variable Annuities

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published Regulatory Notice 10-05 reminding firms of their responsibilities concerning deferred variable annuities. Annuities can carry costs and risks that many investors may not be aware of because brokers who are incentivized by commission-generation do not make them clear to investors. Costs...

FINRA Investor Alert: Variable Annuities [Update]

Variable Annuities: Beyond the Hard Sell

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published an Investor Alert to help investors decide on how to invest for retirement. An annuity makes periodic payments to the holder of the annuity. There are fixed annuities that make fixed payments and variable annuities that make variable payments.

Annuities can carry costs and risks that many investors may not be aware of because brokers who are incentivized by commission-generation do...

FINRA Investor Alert: Leveraged and Inverse ETFs

Leveraged and Inverse ETFs: Specialized Products with Extra Risks for Buy-and-Hold Investors

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued an Investor Alert to help investors understand the performance objectives of leveraged and inverse exchange-traded funds.

Exchange-Traded Funds is an investment fund that holds stocks, bonds, or commodities and typically tracks specific indices representing such asset classes. Introduced in 1993 by State Street Global Advisors, ETFs...

FINRA Investor Alert: Life Settlements

Seniors Beware: What You Should Know About Life Settlements

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published an Investor Alert on life settlement. Life settlement is the transaction that involves selling one's life insurance policy to a third party that did not issue the policy for a lump sum payment whose value is higher than the policy's cash surrender value but less than the net death benefit.

Because life settlement is targeted at senior people, the industry can be...

SLCG Research: Charles Schwab YieldPlus

SLCG released today 'Charles Schwab YieldPlus Risk'

This paper reports on the Charles Schwab YieldPlus, a bond fund. YieldPlus returned -31.7% between June 2007 and June 2008. Though it told investors that it was an ultra short bond fund, it was in fact an ultra long bond fund. It held securities backed by illiquid long-term private label mortgages, violating concentration and liquidity limits stated in its prospectus. Up until 2007, these securities helped YieldPlus generate...

692 Results

Display: