NOSSOS CASOS E INVESTIGAÇÕES DE FRAUDE DE CORRETORES DE BOLSA

Por mais de 40 anos, o Advogado Pearce e seus funcionários no The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. têm trabalhado e continuam a trabalhar em uma ampla variedade de títulos, commodities e disputas de investimentos para investidores decorrentes de corretagem de ações, corretagem de commodities, seguros e outros serviços financeiros dos funcionários, representantes e agentes da empresa de serviços financeiros. Representamos investidores com questões de direito de valores mobiliários e commodities e uma ampla gama de outras áreas de atuação em litígio judicial, arbitragem e procedimentos de mediação de escritórios em Boca Raton, Flórida, em todos os Estados Unidos.

Nossos advogados da Flórida lidam com casos de fraude e investigações em todo o país

Se habla español

As reclamações mais comuns dos investidores têm sido reclamações por deturpação, falta de divulgação de informações importantes, recomendações inadequadas, agitação ou negociação excessiva, e negociação não autorizada de ações, títulos, fundos mútuos e opções em violação aos estatutos federais e estaduais, à lei comum e às regras da indústria. Entretanto, nos últimos três anos, a maioria de nossos casos surgiram da última onda de produtos de investimento, má conduta generalizada com as mesmas empresas de investimento, filiais e/ou corretores. Atualmente, estamos envolvidos em vários casos e investigações envolvendo não apenas as chamadas "variedades de jardim" de ações, títulos e opções, mas muitos outros tipos de produtos de investimento mal apresentados e mal administrados e esquemas fraudulentos.

Uma breve descrição de alguns de nossos atuais casos de fraude de corretores e investigações com links para outras páginas de nosso website e Blog de Direitos dos Investidores para ajudar a responder suas perguntas e ajudá-lo a recuperar suas perdas está abaixo:

Mar 30, 2023

Broker C. Raymond Weldon Investigation & Customer Complaints

C. Raymond Weldon Of Independent Financial Group, LLC And Formerly With The Investment Center, Inc. and Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Has Six Customer Complaints For Alleged Broker Misconduct. C. Raymond Weldon has been the subject of at least six (6) customer complaints that we know about to recover investment losses. The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. currently represent five of his customers in a FINRA arbitration claim against Weldon’s employers. IMPORTANT: We are providing information about our clients’ allegations and seeking information from other investors who did business with C. Raymond Weldon and had similar investments, a similar investment strategy, and a similar bad experience to help us win our clients’ case. Please contact us online via our contact form or by giving us a ring at (800) 732-2889. Raymond Weldon Customer Complaints Weldon has been the subject of at least six (6) customer complaints that we know about to recover investment losses. We currently represent five of his customers against Weldon’s employers. A summary of the allegations made in the FINRA arbitration filed for investment losses realized by five of Weldon’s clients were as follows: 1. Introduction Claimants filed an arbitration claim against Respondents Cetera Advisors Networks, LLC (“CAN”), The Investment center, Inc. (“TIC”), and (“IFG”) for their registered representative C. Raymond Weldon (“Weldon”) failure to act in Claimants’ “best interest,” and his unsuitable recommendations, misrepresentations, misleading statements, acts, and omissions. Weldon had written discretionary authority to manage Claimants’ accounts and failed to do so. Respondents CAN and TIC formerly employed and IFG who currently employs Weldon held him out and other employees on his team as stockbrokers, investment advisers, investment managers, financial advisers, and financial planners with special skills and expertise in the management of securities portfolios and financial, estate, retirement, and tax planning matters. Weldon was a Chartered Financial Consultant, a professional with a certification which would indicate Respondents and Weldon knew or should have known his mismanagement Claimants’ accounts was in breach of his fiduciary duties and below the acceptable standard of care of professionals like him.  2. THE RELEVANT FACTS All Claimants, except one Claimant’s wife, worked together. They were introduced to Weldon as an investment manager who successfully managed securities brokerage accounts for a local synagogue and many of its members. With one limited exception, none of the Claimants had any securities brokerage accounts or experience investing in the stock or bond markets before they met Weldon. They were all interested in saving for retirement and he solicited them to establish an investment advisory and brokerage relationship for that purpose. Claimants Richard, Anthony, Alex, Chris, and, later on, Jessica, opened small, unleveraged, and well diversified mutual fund investment accounts, which Weldon managed for a fee on an annualized basis (the “ProFunds Accounts”). The Cetera Advisor Networks, LLC (“CAN”) Accounts In or about October 2020, Weldon boasted about his performance in managing the ProFunds Accounts and introduced them to another type of customized stock brokerage account he managed for synagogue members. He encouraged Claimants to open additional accounts with him to invest in the stock market for their retirement (the “CAN Accounts”). Weldon met with Claimants and showed them documents related to his performance managing other clients’ accounts. He spoke with the other Claimants over the telephone about his performance record. He provided little detail about his management style other than he had a “track record” for substantially growing the assets deposited in his clients’ securities brokerage accounts and preserving assets for their retirement. Weldon claimed that his pro-active management style allowed him to maximize growth in the up markets and minimize losses in down markets. There was no discussion with them about the true nature, mechanics, or risks of the highly leveraged and overly concentrated investment strategy he deployed in the technology sector of the stock market.  The individual Claimants gathered assets from savings, bonuses, and/or refinanced real estate to open and deposit cash in their CAN Accounts. They each deposited substantial amount of money in each of their accounts in December of that year and the following year for Weldon to manage for their retirement. The Claimants’ employer was the last to open an account and deposit funds it had reserved for working capital in January 2021. Weldon prepared and all the Claimants signed management agreements and gave Weldon the authority to manage their accounts on margin without any prior consultation about the investments being made or strategy deployed and paid him a management fee to do so. Claimants did not realize Weldon’s papers also allowed Respondents to get paid commissions on each transaction in their accounts. Weldon also prepared and completed new account opening documents and agreements for managed accounts with false and/or misleading information to suit his strategy and his own “best interest,” as opposed to Claimants. For example, he wrote that one Claimant that was a construction company had over 20 years’ experience investing in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds when he knew it did not even exist until 2013 and never had any securities brokerage accounts. Further, Weldon knew that the company was depositing working capital which needed to be conservatively invested in non-volatile liquid investments and yet he falsely identified the company’s investment objective as “aggressive growth” and risk tolerance as “significant” meaning “an investor who seeks maximum return and accepts the risk of significant volatility and decreases in the value of a portfolio.” According to Weldon, the company had no need for liquidity, which was untrue. These were not clerical errors; rather, they were intentional mischaracterizations by Weldon to slip under the Compliance Department’s radar and manage the accounts in a speculative manner against Claimants’ instructions.  Weldon regularly encouraged Claimants to bring in more money for him to manage. Why? Because it was in his “best interest,” not the Claimants. The greater the total account market value, the greater the management fees which were based upon assets under management. The more money Claimants deposited, the more transactions and more commissions, Respondents and he received, in addition...

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Mar 30, 2023

Ex-Centaurus Financial Broker Joseph Michael Todd Sued

The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. is currently representing a Client of Joseph Michael Todd who has filed an arbitration claim against his employer, Centaurus Financial, Inc. Joseph Michael Todd Formerly With Centaurus Financial, Inc. and Investors Capital Corp. Has Three (3) Customer Complaints For Alleged Broker Misconduct. IMPORTANT: We are providing information about our clients’ allegations and seeking information from other investors who did business with Joseph Michael Todd and had similar investments, a similar investment strategy, and a similar bad experience to help us win our clients’ case. Please contact us online via our contact form or by giving us a ring at (800) 732-2889. Joseph Michael Todd Was Terminated by Centaurus Financial, Inc. On July 21, 2022, Joseph Michael Todd was terminated by Centaurus Financial, Inc. for not cooperating with an ongoing investigation into whether Joseph Michael Todd violated firm policy and industry rules with respect to allegations of selling away and the receipt of customer funds. Our law firm was contacted by a customer of Joseph Michael Todd alleging misappropriation or theft of funds. We are currently investigating such claims and are accepting clients who were victims of Joseph Michael Todd’s alleged misconduct. Joseph Michael Todd was fired from Centaurus Financial in July 2022, according to FINRA’s BrokerCheck. Michael Todd was terminated from Centaurus Financial because of claims he sold investments not authorized by the company, a common practice known as “selling away.” Did Joseph Michael Todd Cause You Investment Losses? Joseph Michael Todd, also known as Michael Todd, Formerly With Centaurus Financial, Inc. and Investors Capital Corp. Has Three (3) Customer Complaints For Alleged Broker Misconduct. If you believe you have suffered investment losses resulting from the conduct of Joseph Michael Todd at Centaurus Financial and Investors Capital Corp. you can contact the securities attorneys at The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. for a free consultation to discuss your rights. Joseph Michael Todd Customer Complaints Joseph Michael Todd has been the subject of three (3) customer complaints that we know about, one (1) of those complaints was filed in 2022 to recover investment losses. And One (1) of Joseph Michael Todd’s three (3) customer complaints were settled in favor of investors. However, one (1) of Joseph Michael Todd’s customer complaints was closed, and the customers have not taken any further action. There is currently one (1) pending customer complaint filed against Joseph Michael Todd’s former employer Centaurus Financial, Inc. for investment losses caused by alleged misconduct.  Allegations Against Joseph Michael Todd A sample of the allegations made in the FINRA reported arbitration claim settlements and/or pending complaints for investment losses are as follows:  We currently represent a Client of Joseph Michael Todd who have filed an arbitration claim against his employer, Centaurus Financial, Inc. A summary of the allegations made in the FINRA arbitration filed for investment losses realized by the Claimant were as follows: 1. Introduction Respondent Centaurus employed Joseph Michael Todd (hereafter referred to as either “Mike” or “Mr. Todd”) and held him out as registered representative, investment adviser, investment manager, financial adviser, and financial planner with special skills and expertise in the management of securities portfolios and financial, estate, retirement, and tax planning matters. Centaurus hired Mr. Todd after he was terminated by two prior broker-dealers for violations of industry rules, firm policies and procedures, including allegations of selling unapproved investments and misappropriation. It also permitted Mr. Todd to operate his Centaurus branch offices under the name “Todd Financial Services” as “a DBA for branding purposes.” The Respondent is being sued in its capacity as broker-dealer and investment adviser, investment portfolio manager, financial planner, and/or as an employer whose employees and agents, including, but not limited to, Mr. Todd, committed the acts and omissions which are the subject of this Statement of Claim.  Claimant is a 62-year-old single woman back working 3 months after she had retired and discovered that her Centaurus’ stockbroker and investment advisor Mr. Todd did the following: 1) Stole $425,000 of her funds that were supposed to have been invested in safe, liquid, fixed income securities for her retirement security and income; 2) Acted in his own “best interest” instead of Claimant’s “best interest” in soliciting her to sell $420,000 of her investment grade municipal bonds and reinvesting the sales proceeds in illiquid and high-risk alternative investments;  3) Purchased $255,000 of high-risk preferred stocks and real estate investment trusts in her account without consulting her or any written discretionary authority; and 4) Misrepresented Claimant’s investment portfolio holdings in customized reports prepared by him at his Centaurus office to cover up the theft of her funds.  Apparently, Claimant was not Mike’s only victim. On July 21, 2022, Mike’s employment with Centaurus was terminated for failing to cooperate with the broker-dealer’s investigation into allegations by others that he made unauthorized investments and/or absconded with their funds. Mr. Todd is under investigation by the Citrus County Sherriff’s Office and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. He has surrendered what is left of his assets to an Assignee for Benefit of Creditors, the value of which is substantial less than the amount he owes to Claimant and other Centaurus clients. 2. The Relevant Facts The Claimant is a high school graduate with a 2-year associates degree. She has had many jobs over the years in various industries. The Claimant thought she had retired from her last job in April 2022. Unfortunately, she has had to go back to work for the same company after she discovered theft, fraud, and other misconduct, which is the subject of this arbitration proceeding. The Claimant first met Mike in Homosassa, Florida in 2000. He was recently divorced with 2 children in his custody and lived across the street from her. They were neighbors and became close friends. The Claimant even helped take care of Mike’s house and children when needed. Similarly, Mike helped Claimant with some of her personal matters. They developed a relationship of trust, confidence, and reliance upon each other years before Claimant opened her Centaurus...

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Mar 30, 2023

Aaron Graham Investigation For Alleged Broker Misconduct

The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. is representing two Co-Trustees of a family trust in a FINRA arbitration case against United Planners’ Financial Services of America and AG Financial advisor Aaron Graham for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, professional negligence, negligence, and negligent supervision and fraudulent concealment of Graham’s misconduct. Aaron Graham Of United Planners’ Financial Services Of America A Limited Partner And AG Financial Has 4 Customer Complaints For Alleged Broker Misconduct. The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. is currently representing two Co-Trustees of a family trust who have filed an arbitration claim against his employer, United Planners’ Financial Services Of America, and Aaron Graham himself. IMPORTANT: We are providing information about our clients’ allegations and seeking information from other investors who did business with Aaron Graham and had similar investments, a similar investment strategy, and a similar bad experience to help us win our clients’ case. Please contact us online via our contact form or by giving us a ring at (800) 732-2889. Aaron Graham Customer Complaints Aaron Graham has been the subject of 4 customer complaints that we know about. Two of Aaron Graham’s customer complaints were settled in favor of investors. One of Aaron Graham’s customers’ complaints was denied, and, to date, the customer has not taken any further action. We represent another customer whose arbitration claim was recently filed and is pending. Current Allegations Against Aaron Graham A sample of the allegations made in the previously FINRA reported arbitration claim settlements and/or complaints for investment losses were as follows:  We currently represent two Co-Trustees of a family trust who have filed an arbitration claim against his employer, United Planners’ Financial Services Of America and Aaron Graham himself. A summary of the allegations made in the FINRA arbitration filed for investment losses realized by the family’s trust were as follows: 1. Introduction Beginning in the late summer 2017, Graham, who had written discretionary authority to manage Claimants’ account in a reasonable manner, deployed a highly speculative strategy involving speculative investments and an excessive amount of leverage, which were inconsistent with Claimants instructions, needs, financial condition, and agreements related to their brokerage and investment advisory relationships. Graham mismanaged Claimants’ TDA account and made other investments for Claimants in violation of securities law, state and securities industry rules and regulations, and brokerage and/or advisory agreements. Respondent Graham is a registered representative and agent of and employed by United Planners Financial Services of America (“UP”) and was held out as a stockbroker, investment advisor, investment manager, financial advisor, and financial planner with special skills and expertise in the management of securities portfolios and financial, estate, retirement, and tax planning matters. Graham was a Certified Trust Financial Advisor (CTFA), a designation he held since 1999 for expertise in trust and other fiduciary matters. As a registered principal with UP, Graham held FINRA Series 7, 9, 24, 63 and 65 and various insurance licenses. This arbitration was filed by Claimants as Co-Trustees of their family’s trust against Respondent UP and its registered representative Graham for his breach of brokerage and advisory agreements, statutory and common law fraud, breach of fiduciary duties, negligence, failures to act in Claimants’ “best interest,” unsuitable recommendations, misrepresentations, omissions, misleading statements, and other acts and omissions, which were fraudulently concealed from Claimants. 2. The Relevant Facts Claimants are 68 and 63 years, respectively. Neither one has had any education beyond high school. They both went to work immediately thereafter. They have been married since 1980 and have children. The husband went to work in the oil fields with his father, and the wife became a dental assistant.  In 1999, the Claimants formed a company that drilled the initial conductors, mouseholes, and ratholes for oil producers before they constructed the drilling rigs that drilled for the oil. This was the family business that the husband learned from his father. After his father retired, the husband set out on his own and became very successful in a short period. By 2008, the Claimants had accumulated several million dollars and were introduced to Graham through their friends in the oil business. Neither one of the Co-Trustees had any education or experience investing in the stock or bond markets prior to meeting him. Graham would travel from his Salt Lake City office to meet with his clients. On those occasions, he would stop by the Claimants’ office to visit and solicit their business. Eventually, Graham was successful in persuading the Claimants to open a TDA account, which Graham managed for a management fee on a discretionary basis. In 2010, the Co-Trustees sold their company and deposited all the sales proceeds along with their other savings previously deposited into the TDA account managed by Graham. By the end of 2010, Respondent UP’s agent Graham controlled $12.5 million of the Claimants’ life savings held in trust for them. Graham managed the TDA account exclusively; he did not consult with Claimants with respect to any transaction therein.  In or about 2011 Graham began to distribute $15,000 per month to Claimants. The next year he increased the distribution to $25,000 per month to Claimants. From inception of the relationship, Graham continuously assured Claimants they would have more than enough funds for a lifetime of distributions at a rate of $25,000/month. Indeed, this might have been true if Graham had only continued to manage the account as he was instructed and agreed. Initially, Claimants received monthly account statements from TDA at Claimants’ business office PO Box address. Graham also supplied Claimants with written reports supposedly summarizing the account activity and performance of the account. However, after the sale of the business, Claimants only received Graham’s summary reports and annuity statements at their home. Graham never notified TDA that the Claimants sold their business, moved, and no longer received TDA statements that may have been delivered to their former business office. When Claimants asked Graham about the whereabouts of the TDA statements, he told them he was receiving them and all they needed...

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Mar 18, 2023

J.P. Morgan Sued pela alegada má conduta de Edward Turley: 55 milhões de dólares!

The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. has filed another case against Ex-J.P. Morgan broker Ed Turley for alleged misrepresentations, misleading statements, unsuitable recommendations, and mismanagement of Claimants’ accounts. The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce has filed another case against J.P. Morgan Securities for alleged misrepresentations, misleading statements, unsuitable recommendations, and mismanagement of Claimants’ accounts continuing in fall 2019 and thereafter by Edward Turley (“Turley”), a former “Vice-Chairman” of J.P. Morgan. At the outset, it is important for our readers to know that our clients’ allegations have not yet been proven. IMPORTANT: We are providing information about our clients’ allegations and seeking information from other investors who did business with J.P. Morgan and Mr. Turley and had similar investments, a similar investment strategy, and a similar bad experience to help us win our clients’ case. Please contact us online via our contact form or by giving us a ring at (800) 732-2889. Latest Updates on Ed Turley – November 18, 2022 The Advisor Hub reported today that the former star broker with J.P. Morgan Advisors in San Francisco Edward Turley agreed to an industry bar rather than cooperate with FINRA’s probe of numerous allegations of excessive and unauthorized trading that resulted in more than $100 million worth of customer complaints. FINRA had initiated its investigation of Edward Turley as it related to numerous customer complaints in 2020. The regulator noted in its Acceptance Waiver and Consent Agreement (AWC) that the investors had generally alleged “sales practice violations including improper exercise of discretion and unsuitable trading.” According to Edward Turley’s BrokerCheck report, he had been fired in August 2021 for “loss of confidence concerning adherence to firm policies and brokerage order handling requirements.” On October 28th, FINRA requested Turley provide on-the-record testimony related to his trading patterns, including the “use of foreign currency and margin, and the purchasing and selling of high-yield bonds and preferred stock,” but Edward Turley through counsel declined to do so. As a result, Edward Turley violated FINRA’s Rule 8210 requiring cooperation with enforcement probes, and its catch-all Rule 2010 requiring “high standards of commercial honor,” the regulator said and he was barred permanently from the securities industry. Related Read: Can You Sue a Financial Advisor or Stockbroker Over Losses? Turley Allegedly Misrepresented And Misled Claimants About His Investment Strategy The claims arise out of Turley’s “one-size-fits-all” fixed income credit spread investment strategy involving high-yield “junk” bonds, preferred stocks, exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), master limited partnerships (“MLPs”), and foreign bonds. Instead of purchasing those securities in ordinary margin accounts, Turley executed foreign currency transactions to raise capital and leverage clients’ accounts to earn undisclosed commissions. Turley over-leveraged and over-concentrated his best and biggest clients’ accounts, including Claimants’ accounts, in junk bonds, preferred stocks, and MLPs in the financial and energy sectors, which are notoriously illiquid and subject to sharp price declines when the financial markets become stressed as they did in March 2020. In the beginning and throughout the investment advisory relationship, Turley described his investment strategy to Claimants as one which would generate “equity returns with very low bond-type risk.” Turley and his partners also described the strategy to clients and prospects as one “which provided equity-like returns without equity-like risk.” J.P. Morgan supervisors even documented Turley’s description of the strategy as “creating portfolio with similar returns, but less volatility than an all-equity portfolio.” Note: It appears that no J.P. Morgan supervisor ever checked to see if the representations were true and if anybody did, they would have known Turley was lying and have directly participated in the scheme. The Claimants’ representative was also told Turley used leverage derived from selling foreign currencies, Yen and Euros, to get the “equity-like” returns he promised. Turley also told the investor not to be concerned because he “carefully” added leverage to enhance returns. According to Turley, the securities of the companies he invested in for clients “did not move up or down like the stock market,” so there was no need to worry about him using leverage in Claimants’ accounts and their cash would be available whenever it was needed. The Claimants’ representative was not the only client who heard this from Turley; that is, he did not own volatile stocks and not to worry about leverage. Turley did not discuss the amount of leverage he used in clients’ accounts, which ranged from 1:1 to 3:1, nor did Turley discuss the risks currency transactions added to the portfolio, margin calls or forced liquidations as a result of his investment strategy. After all, Turley knew he could get away without disclosing those risks. This was because J.P. Morgan suppressed any margin calls being sent to Turley’s clients and he liquidated securities on his own to meet those margin calls without alarming clients.  This “one-size-fits-all” strategy was a recipe for disaster. J.P. Morgan and Turley have both admitted that Turley’s investment strategy was not suitable for any investor whose liquid net worth was fully invested in the strategy. It was especially unsuitable for those customers like Claimants who had other plans for the funds in their J.P. Morgan accounts in fall 2019 and spring 2020. Unfortunately, Turley recommended and managed the “one-size-fits-all” strategy for his best clients and friends, including Claimants. Turley was Claimants’ investment advisor and portfolio manager and required under the law to serve them as a “fiduciary.” He breached his “fiduciary” duties in making misrepresentations, misleading statements, unsuitable recommendations, and mismanagement of Claimants’ accounts. The most egregious breach was his failure to take any action to protect his clients at the end of February 2020, when J.P. Morgan raised the red flags about COVID-19 and recommended defensive action be taken in clients’ accounts. Turley Allegedly Managed Claimants’ Accounts Without Written Discretionary Authority Claimants’ representative hired Turley to manage his “dry powder,” the cash in Claimants’ accounts at J.P. Morgan, which he would need on short notice when business opportunities arose. At one point, Claimants had over $100 million on deposit with J.P. Morgan. It was not...

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29 de março de 2022

Investindo em Produtos Estruturados

Os produtos estruturados são títulos derivados ou baseados em um único título, uma cesta de títulos, um índice, uma mercadoria, uma emissão de dívida e/ou uma moeda estrangeira.

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23 de fevereiro de 2022

Posso processar meu assessor financeiro por perdas de investimento em notas estruturadas?

Structured notes are investments that combine securities from several asset classes to create a single investment with a particular risk and return profile over a time period. Unfortunately, investment loss is not unheard of with structured notes. This article will try to explain how a structured note works and what you can do if you have lost money due to an advisor’s bad purchase decisions for you. Can I Sue My Financial Advisor For Structured Note Investment Losses? Yes, you can sue your financial advisor for structured note investment losses for one or more of the following reasons: What Are Structured Notes? Structured notes are investments which often combine securities of different asset classes as one investment for a desired risk and return over a period of time. They are complex investments that are often misunderstood by not only investors but the financial advisors who recommend them.  Structured notes are manufactured by financial institutions in all sizes and shapes. Generally, a structured note is an unsecured obligation of an issuer with a return, generally paid at maturity, that is linked to the performance of an underlying asset, such as a securities market index, exchange traded fund, and/or individual stocks. The return on the structured note will depend on the performance of the underlying asset and the specific features of the investment being made. The different features and risks of structured notes can affect the terms and issuance, returns at maturity, and the value of the structured product before maturity. They may have limited or no liquidity before maturity. Before investing, you better make sure you understand the terms and conditions and risks associated with the structured note being offered. Structured notes are often represented as investments being guaranteed by large financial institutions. Indeed, the top issuers of structured notes in 2021, Goldman Sachs (12.75%), Morgan Stanley (12.70%), Citigroup (12.46%), J.P. Morgan (11.92%), UBS (80.47%), Credit Suisse (4.99%), RBC (4.45%), Bank of America (3.90%), Scotiabank (3.89%), are some of the largest financial institutions in the world. It’s important to understand that although the benefits of owning structured products may be guaranteed to be paid by one of those large financial institutions, the amount of interest or principal being guaranteed is dependent upon the features of the product being sold; that is, the specific terms and conditions of the investment contract being purchased. In this low-interest rate environment the most popular structured notes being offered are structured notes with principal protection and income features. Some of the structured notes offer full principal protection, but others offer partial or no protection of principal at all. Some structured notes offer higher rates of interest that may be paid monthly and then suddenly stop paying any interest at all because payment was contingent upon certain events not happening. It all depends on the terms and conditions of the investment contract being purchased, which is why you must read the term sheet or better yet the prospectus to understand the nature, mechanics and risks of the structured note being sold. You need to understand that there are many key terms beyond the words “guarantor” and “guaranteed” which are used often to describe structured notes. You need to ask about and be sure to understand the following features of the structured notes being offered: Are Structured Notes Suitable Investments? Let me answer that question this way, a particular structured note may be suitable for somebody but not everybody. With regard to the more common structured notes being offered by the major financial institutions these days, they are not suitable for individuals seeking an investment that: They are not suitable investments if you are someone who: Have You Suffered Structured Note Investment Losses? Unfortunately, the lure of higher commissions have in recent years provided added incentives to stockbrokers to recommend structured notes to investors, including those for whom they were inappropriate, too risky, or never in alignment with their investment goals, including, the following types of structured notes: It’s a shock to many investors who sought to avoid market volatility by investing in structured notes. Many who thought they would receive a steady stream of income and guaranteed return of principal have suffered sharp and unexpected losses in structured notes with “reference assets” like Peloton, ARK, Alibaba, Meta(Facebook), Zillow, Yeti, etc. Depending on the other features of those structured notes, the loss of income and principal could be realized permanently. How Can I Recover My Structured Note Investment Losses? There is no way you will recover your structured note investment losses without some legal action. At The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A., we represent investors in all kinds of structured note investment disputes in FINRA arbitration and mediation proceedings. The claims we file are for fraud and misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, failure to supervise, and unsuitable recommendations in violation of FINRA rules and industry standards. Attorney Pearce and his staff represent investors across the United States on a CONTINGENCY FEE basis which means you pay nothing – NO FEES-NO COSTS – unless we put money in your pocket after receiving a settlement or FINRA arbitration award. CONTACT US FOR A FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION  The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. have highly experienced investment fraud lawyers who have successfully handled many structured note cases and other securities law matters and investment disputes in FINRA arbitration proceedings, and who work tirelessly to secure the best possible result for you and your case. For dedicated representation by an attorney with over 40 years of experience and success in structured product cases and all kinds of securities law and investment disputes, contact the firm by phone at 561-338-0037, toll free at 800-732-2889 or via e-mail.

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10 de setembro de 2020

Linhas de crédito com garantia pode ser mais perigosa do que as contas com margem

Many investors have heard of margin accounts and the horror stories of others who invested on margin and suffered substantial losses. But few investors understand that securities-backed lines of credit (SBL) accounts, which have been aggressively promoted by brokerage firms in the last decade, are just as dangerous as margin accounts. This is largely due to the fact that the equity and bond markets have been on an upward trend since 2009 and few investors (unless you are a Puerto Rico investor) have experienced market slides resulting in margin calls due to the insufficient amount of collateral in the SBL accounts. Securities-Backed Lines of Credit Overview It is only over the last several months of market volatility that investors have begun to feel the wrath of margin calls and understand the high risks associated with investing in SBL accounts. For investors considering your stockbroker’s offer of a line of credit (a loan at a variable or fixed rate of interest) to finance a residence, a boat, or to pay taxes or for your child’s college education, you may want to read a little more about the nature, mechanics, and risks of SBL accounts before you sign the collateral account agreement and pledge away your life savings to the brokerage firm in exchange for the same loan you could have obtained from another bank without all the risk associated with SBL accounts. First, it may be helpful to understand just why SBL accounts have become so popular over the last decade. It should be no surprise that the primary reason for your stockbroker’s offering of an SBL is that both the brokerage firm and he/she make money. Over many years, the source of revenues for brokerage firms has shifted from transaction-based commissions to fee-based investments, limited partnerships, real estate investment trusts (REITs), structured products, managed accounts, and income earned from lending money to clients in SBL and margin accounts. Many more investors seem to be aware of the danger of borrowing in margin accounts for the purposes of buying and selling securities, so the brokerage firms expanded their banking activities with their banking affiliates to expand the market and their profitability in the lending arena through SBL accounts. The typical sales pitch is that SBL accounts are an easy and inexpensive way to access cash by borrowing against the assets in your investment portfolio without having to liquidate any securities you own so that you can continue to profit from your stockbroker’s supposedly successful and infallible investment strategy. Today the SBL lending business is perhaps one of the more profitable divisions at any brokerage firm and banking affiliate offering that product because the brokerage firm retains assets under management and the fees related thereto and the banking affiliate earns interest income from another market it did not otherwise have direct access to. For the benefit of the novice investor, let me explain the basics of just how an SBL account works. An SBL account allows you to borrow money using securities held in your investment accounts as collateral for the loan. The Danger of Investing in SBL Accounts Once the account is established and you received the loan proceeds, you can continue to buy and sell securities in that account, so long as the value of the securities in the account exceeds the minimum collateral requirements of the banking affiliate, which can change just like the margin requirements at a brokerage firm. Assuming you meet those collateral requirements, you only make monthly interest-only payments and the loan remains outstanding until it is repaid. You can pay down the loan balance at any time, and borrow again and pay it down, and borrow again, so long as the SBL account has sufficient collateral and you make the monthly interest-only payments in your SBL account. In fact, the monthly interest-only payments can be paid by borrowing additional money from the bank to satisfy them until you reach a credit limit or the collateral in your account becomes insufficient at your brokerage firm and its banking affiliate’s discretion. We have heard some stockbrokers describe SBLs as equivalent to home equity lines, but they are not really the same. Yes, they are similar in the sense that the amount of equity in your SBL account, like your equity in your house, is collateral for a loan, but you will not lose your house without notice or a lengthy foreclosure process. On the other hand, you can lose all of your securities in your SBL account if the market goes south and the brokerage firm along with its banking affiliate sell, without prior notice, all of the securities serving as collateral in the SBL account. You might ask how can that happen; that is, sell the securities in your SBL account, without notice? Well, when you open up an SBL account, the brokerage firm and its banking affiliate and you will execute a contract, a loan agreement that specifies the maximum amount the bank will agree to lend you in exchange for your agreement to pledge your investment account assets as collateral for the loan. You also agree in that contract that if the value of your securities declines to an amount that is no longer sufficient to secure your line of credit, you must agree to post additional collateral or repay the loan upon demand. Lines of credit are typically demand loans, meaning the banking affiliate can demand repayment in full at any time. Generally, you will receive a “maintenance call” from the brokerage firm and/or its banking affiliate notifying you that you must post additional collateral or repay the loan in 3 to 5 days or, if you are unable to do so, the brokerage firm will liquidate your securities and keep the cash necessary to satisfy the “maintenance call” or, in some cases, use the proceeds to pay off the entire loan. But I want to emphasize, the brokerage firm and its banking affiliate, under the terms of almost all SBL account agreements,...

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1º de setembro de 2020

Investidores com Linha de Crédito "Blown-Out" e Contas de Margem "Blown-Out": Como você recupera suas perdas de investimento?

Se você está lendo este artigo, estamos supondo que teve uma experiência ruim recentemente, seja em uma linha de crédito garantida por títulos ("SBL") ou em uma conta margem que sofreu chamadas de margem e foi liquidada sem aviso prévio, fazendo com que você percebesse perdas. Normalmente, os investidores com chamadas de margem recebem 3 a 5 dias para atendê-los; e se isso acontecesse, o valor dos títulos em sua conta poderia ter aumentado dentro desse período e a firma poderia ter apagado a chamada de margem e poderia não ter liquidado sua conta. Se você for um investidor que tenha experimentado chamadas de margem no passado, e esta é sua única reclamação então, não leia mais porque quando você assinou o acordo de conta com a corretora com a qual você escolheu fazer negócios, você provavelmente deu a ela o direito de liquidar todos os títulos em sua conta a qualquer momento sem aviso prévio. Por outro lado, se você é um investidor com pouca experiência ou com uma condição financeira modesta que foi convencido a abrir uma linha de crédito de títulos sem ser avisado sobre a verdadeira natureza, mecânica e/ou riscos de abrir tal conta, então você deve nos ligar agora! Alternativamente, se você é um investidor que precisava retirar dinheiro para uma casa ou para pagar seus impostos ou educação de seus filhos, mas foi convencido a manter uma carteira de ações e/ou junk bonds de risco ou concentrada em uma conta garantida por uma linha de crédito ou uma conta margem, então provavelmente podemos ajudá-lo a recuperar suas perdas de investimento também. A chave para uma recuperação bem sucedida de sua perda de investimento é não se concentrar na liquidação dos títulos em sua conta pela corretora sem aviso prévio. Em vez disso, o foco em seu caso deve estar no que lhe foi dito e se a recomendação foi adequada para você antes de abrir a conta e sofrer a liquidação.

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17 de agosto de 2020

Qual é a obrigação de um corretor de bolsa de valores de acordo com a regulamentação de melhor interesse (Reg. BI)?

Introduzimos o novo Regulamento da Comissão de Valores Mobiliários dos Estados Unidos (SEC) Best Interest Regulation (Reg. BI) logo após sua entrada em vigor e resumimos as quatro obrigações que agora estão sendo impostas aos corretores e suas pessoas associadas com relação a qualquer recomendação pós 30 de junho de 2020 relacionada a valores mobiliários, a saber

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15 de agosto de 2020

UBS Yield Enhanced Strategy Investors: Como você recupera suas perdas de investimento "UBS-YES"?

Se você está lendo este artigo, provavelmente investiu na estratégia UBS Yield Enhanced Strategy ("UBS-YES") e ficou surpreso ao saber que o programa UBS-YES no qual você investiu não era exatamente uma estratégia de investimento "neutra de mercado" durante o recente crash do mercado COVID 19. Apesar das representações de seu corretor UBS sobre a capacidade dos gestores do UBS-YES de "gerenciar riscos" e "minimizar perdas" através de sua estratégia de opção "condor de ferro", você ainda percebeu perdas substanciais. Você não está sozinho porque isso é exatamente o que muitos outros investidores do UBS-YES nos disseram sobre o passo dado a eles para investir no programa UBS-YES e sua experiência recente.

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