Articles Posted in Investor Education

The financial publication On Wall Street published an article today discussing the fate of Michael Dimare, a former ING Financial broker who was recently permanantly barred by securities regulator FINRA for scamming approximately 22 victims out of approximately $2 million between 2001 and 2008. Accoding to Dimare’s CRD report, a report that tracks customer complaints made by…

According to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), USA Retirement Management Services (USARMS), managed by Francios E. Durmaz and Robert C. Pribilski, used estate planning seminars to perpetuate a Ponzi scheme. The SEC alleges that Durmaz and Pribilski, through mass mailings, invited retirees to attend estate planning seminars and then conned them into purchasing USARMS promissory notes.…

The Doss Firm, LLC is currently investigating whether Ameriprise Financial f/k/a H&R Block Financial Advisors violated industry rules on a wide-spread basis in connection with the unsuitable sale of reverse convertible notes to senior citizens. FINRA fined the firm as well as Andrew MacGill, a broker with the firm, this week for making unsuitable sales…

FINRA, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority announced that it was fining H&R Block Financial Advisors, Inc. (n/k/a Ameriprise Advisor Services, Inc.) $200,000 for failing to establish adequate supervisory procedures in connection with the sale of reverse convertible notes. FINRA also fined Andrew MacGill, an advisor of the firm for making unsuitable recommendations to a retired couple.…

With all of the talk these days about the need to find alternative energy sources, there is a real demand for “Green” energy. There are a lot of legitimate entrepreneurs out there looking for investors to put up money to fund new energy-saving environmentally-friendly ideas. With every legitimate entrepreneur however, comes a hundred scam artists…

According to WRAL.com, AARP along with the North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marsall and Financial Industrial Regulator Authority Foundation President John Gannon are joining forces in an effort to protect elderly investors from investment fraud. They have begun a statewide campaign to educate investors and assist them in avoiding investment scams. This type of education…

Due to the long overdue need for investor-friendly reform in the financial services industry, the Obama administration has proposed legislation that would require broker-dealers who provide investment advice to assume fidicuary duties to their clients. In case you do not know, a fiduciary is someone that is held in a position of trust. As a…

According to the most recent Atlanta Business Chronicle article entitled Atlanta companies lose billions in retirement funds, some of the largest Atlanta/Georgia-based companies have lost billions of dollars in their retirement and savings plans. The losses approximate $2.7 billion in 2008. The companies are listed below along with their respective 2008 decline in employee investable assets:…

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) offers some sound advice when it comes to Promissory Notes. Promissory notes often appear as an attractive alternative to stocks and bonds during this tough economic climate. However, investors need to beware of several problems prior to investing. A promissory note is a type of debt that a company uses to…

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has issued a warning to those who have or may concentrate too much of their retirement savings in their employer’s stock. FINRA wants investors to realize that should their company’s stock fall in value so will their portfolio. The greater percentage that you have invested in your company’s stock, or any…