A recent FINRA enforcement action serves as a stark reminder that retired and elderly investors remain prime targets for unsuitable and risky investment schemes—often with devastating financial consequences. This week, FINRA announced sanctions against Keith M. D’Agostino, a former broker at Aegis Capital Corp., fining him $25,000 and suspending him…
The Texas State Securities Board has announced a significant update to its rules, effective March 13, 2025, which introduced several key changes designed to align Texas securities laws with federal regulations and standards set by industry organizations such as FINRA and NASAA. Here are the key points: Adoption of FINRA…
When the market gets rough and recession fears spike, investors may believe losses are inevitable. While this can be true, especially in the recent market downturn, there are steps you and your broker or advisor can take to properly allocate your investment portfolio to best position your finances to survive…
Communication via personal text messages or personal email could be a major warning sign that your stockbroker or investment advisor is engaging in investment and securities fraud. While not all uses of personal devices for broker-client contact are cause for concern, these messages are often difficult to regulators and firms…
Stockbrokers and investment advisors are trusted financial professionals. However, as they say, there is a bad apple in every barrel. And if you’ve been watching the news over recent months, the finance industry certainly has its share of bad apples when it comes to investment and securities fraud. But how…
Stockbrokers and financial advisors occupy a place of trust. And, in most cases, a client’s trust in their financial advisor is well-placed. However, perhaps more often than most people realize, stockbrokers and financial advisors engage in illegal conduct specifically intended to enrich themselves at their clients’ expense. This is exactly…
Over the past decade, cryptocurrency has been all the rage. It all started with Bitcoin, which was created back in 2008. However, since then, the number of cryptocurrencies has grown significantly, as have the ways that investors can purchase these assets. Cryptocurrency was initially met with skeptical eyes across the…
From Bryan Forman, Forman Law Firm, P. C.–In an effort to provide our readers with unique perspective of other professionals in the world of investments and securities regulation, arbitration, and litigation, I will occasionally invite friends, colleagues, and other experts to publish a blog piece from their unique perspective. If…
As I sit here on a Sunday afternoon, listening to some tunes and wondering what will be the ripple effect of these strange times, particularly for the retail investor who has enjoyed an 11 year run of a bull market, I for some reason thought of The Clash’s “Should I…
How Margin Risk Can Devastate a Brokerage Account. WAAAAY BACK in January of 2018, I blogged about how trading on margin, even in a prolonged bull market, can have devastating results if (when) the markets dramatically decline. See, “Investing On Margin—Will Your Chickens Come Home to Roost?” I was concerned…