Robo-advisers are registered financial advisers who use mathematical rules or computer algorithms to provide financial advice or portfolio management online. This recent trend, which requires very little human interaction, has the potential to impact the competitive landscape in the…
After six years of planning and intense effort, which included solicitations of input from the industry and investor advocates, the Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) Conflicts of Interest rule was released in April 2016 (the “Final Rule”). Among other things, the…
The number of advisers considering breaking away from a traditional broker-dealer business model is on the rise. According to the latest research from Echelon partners, last year alone, more than 400 teams broke away from their broker-dealers to go…
As part of FINRA’s ongoing efforts to crackdown on cybersecurity failures, the brokerage industry’s self-regulatory organization issued $14.4 million in fines to a dozen firms – including companies in the Wells Fargo & Co. and RBC Capital networks, RBS Securities Inc.,…
Last week, Alberto Chang-Rajii and his asset management company, Onix Capital LLC, were charged with fraud by the SEC. Using false claims of Chang’s wealth and investment success as an award-winning multi-millionaire “angel” investor, Chang and Onix apparently defrauded…
On October 24, 2016, citing a recent increase in SEC enforcement actions pertaining to Rule 21F-17 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”), the SEC issued a National Exam Program Risk Alert regarding examinations of investment advisers’…
Earlier this month, Health Net Inc. agreed to pay a $340,000 penalty for illegally using severance agreements that required employees leaving the company to waive their right to obtain monetary awards from the SEC’s whistleblower program. According to the…
Earlier this week, four private fund advisers affiliated with Apollo Global Management agreed to a $52.7 million settlement. During an investigation by the SEC, the advisers were found to have misled fund investors about fees and a loan agreement,…
Brad Bennett, FINRA’s Executive Vice President and Chief of Enforcement, said, “A key element of retail investor protection is the aggressive pursuit of brokers who churn and excessively trade customer accounts. FINRA has no tolerance for brokers who place…
Earlier this week, the SEC won a court-ordered asset freeze of two former brokers, James Brennan III and Douglas Dyer, and their company Broad Street Ventures. The former brokers, both of whom have disciplinary histories with FINRA and state…