Tag: Unsuitability

FINRA Issues Article Titled Before You Invest, Suitability: What Investors Need to Know

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The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued an article titled Suitability: What Investors Need to Know which provides investors with a guide to understanding their investment profile.

FINRA’s suitability rule (FINRA Rule 2111) is based on the requirement that brokerage firms and their brokers, financial advisers or financial consultants deal fairly with their customers. In compliance with FINRA’s suitability rule (FINRA Rule 2111) brokerage firms and their associated persons “must have a reasonable basis to believe” that a transaction or investment strategy involving securities is suitable for the customer prior to making such a recommendation. The firm’s reasonable belief must be based on information obtained through the brokerage firm’s obligation to recommend securities or transactions that are suitable for the investor based on the investor’s:

  • age
    • other investments
    • annual income
    • liquid net worth
    • tax status
    • investment objectives
    • investment experience
    • expected time to reach financial goal
    • liquidity needs
    • risk tolerance

To help ensure that investors receive suitable investment advice, firms and their associated persons are required to diligently learn about a customer’s investment profile before recommending a transaction or investment strategy. Therefore, the suitability rule places an obligation on the brokerage firm and the firm’s associated person(s) to seek information from the customer prior to recommending a security or transaction.

If you and have suffered investment losses, please contact the Hanley Law to explore your legal options. The Hanley Law is dedicated to helping investors who have been victims of unsuitable investment recommendations. If you have lost money as a result of securities fraud, you may be able to recover your financial losses. Contact us today toll free at (239) 649-0050 for a free initial consultation.

FINRA Issues Article on Common Investor Problems

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The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a new article called Common Investor Problems and How to Avoid Them. The article discusses the four most reported investment problems and provides steps investors can take to avoid them.

Listed below are summaries of the common problems, how to detect them, and how to avoid them.

  1. Misrepresentation: This is when the advisor makes untrue statements or omits information in regards to the investment. The problem is usually detected when the investor reviews prospectuses, account statements, confirmations and other documents or suffers a decline in their investment account. In order to avoid this problem, investors should understand the products they are investing in, ask the advisor to send them information on the investment and keep notes of their conversations with their advisor.
    2. Cold-Calling: This is when investors receive unwanted phone calls from advisors and the advisors use high-pressure sales tactics to solicit the investor to purchasing a product. Usually a cold-call consists of an advisor calling frequently, pressuring the investor to move quickly, asking the investor to sell a well-known security for an obscure product and/or using a three-call system to entice a buy. Investors can avoid cold-calls by asking the cold-call firm to add them to their “do-not-call” list, being wary of sales pitches, conducting a FINRA BrokerCheck on the advisor and firm and/or visiting the firm prior to sending money for the investment.
    3. Unsuitability: A suitability problem occurs when an advisor purchases an investment that is inconsistent with the investor’s objectives and investing profile. The problem can be detected by the investor reviewing their account and researching the investment or another professional pointing out the suitability issue. To avoid a suitability problem, an investor should read and understand all account documents, understand the investment, provide the firm with accurate data regarding income and risk tolerance and keep records of conversations with the advisor.
    4. Unauthorized Trading: This problem occurs when an advisor makes a purchase in an investor’s account without the investor’s knowledge or authorization. The problem is usually detected when the investor reviews his or her confirmations and statements and discovers an unknown product. To avoid unauthorized trading investors should review and retain all documents received from their brokerage firm, document all conversations with advisors and always repeat clear instructions to their advisor.

FINRA also suggests that investors should research investments prior to purchase and act quickly if you believe you have been wronged.

If you and have suffered investment losses, please contact the Hanley Law to explore your legal options. The Hanley Law is dedicated to helping investors who have been victims of securities fraud. If you have lost money as a result of securities fraud, you may be able to recover your financial losses. Contact us today toll free at (239) 649-0050 for a free initial consultation.

FINRA Issues Article Titled Prohibited Conduct

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The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a new article called Prohibited Conduct. The article lists 13 actions that are prohibited in the securities industry. These actions include the following:

  1. Recommending unsuitable investment products based on the investor’s profile, objectives and risk tolerance.
    2. Making purchases or sales without the knowledge of the investor, unless the advisor received discretionary authority.
    3. Moving an investor from one mutual fund to another when there is no legitimate purpose.
    4. Misrepresenting and/or failing to disclose information to the investors in regards to an investment.
    5. Removing funds or securities without the knowledge of the investor.
    6. Charging the investor excessive mark-ups, markdowns or commissions on their investments.
    7. Making price predictions, promising investors they will not lose funds or agreeing to share in any losses of the investor’s account.
    8. Securities transactions that violate FINRA’s rules, these are usually private transactions between the advisor and investor in which the firm has no knowledge.
    9. Placing an order for the firm’s account before entering a customer’s limit order when there is no legitimate purpose.
    10. Failure by a market maker to display an investor’s limit order in its published quotes when there is no legitimate purpose.
    11. Not using due diligence when executing an investor’s order, this includes executing at the best price.
    12. Purchasing or selling an investment while in possession of non-public information about an issuer.
    13. Using fraudulent methods to elicit a transaction or induce the purchase or sale of and investment.

If you and have suffered investment losses, please contact the Hanley Law to explore your legal options. The Hanley Law is dedicated to helping investors who have been victims of securities fraud. If you have lost money as a result of securities fraud, you may be able to recover your financial losses. Contact us today toll free at (239) 649-0050 for a free initial consultation.