Navigate the complexities of financial advising with AdvisorLaw's Industry Insights. Our experts provide actionable analysis on critical areas impacting your practice, including the latest FINRA and SEC/state regulations for brokers, RIAs, and IARs, the nuances of dual registration, strategic insights into Mergers & Acquisitions, evolving enforcement trends, practical regulatory compliance strategies, and effective succession planning. Stay informed, compliant, and positioned for growth with AdvisorLaw's perspectives.
Termination Reasons Filed On FINRA’s Form U5
The Form U5 is a document used to report the termination of financial advisor (FAs) registrations from a firm or in a particular jurisdiction. Although there are different types of...
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Massachusetts Advisor Wins Expungement Of Five Disputes
A 45-plus-year veteran of the financial services industry had five customer disputes that had accumulated on his public BrokerCheck and CRD records between 2013 and 2018. The customers had sought...
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Louisiana Advisor Clears Records With Triple Disclosure Expungement
An advisor out of Louisiana approaching a quarter of a century in the industry had three customer disputes on his records. Two of the disputes had been lodged around 2010,...
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FINRA Disputes & U5 Terminations FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement
The SEC’s Recent Ruling For High-Risk Firms
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently approved FINRA's new rule that allows it to display an alert on its BrokerCheck tool when a brokerage firm is flagged as "restricted."...
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2022 Was a Big Year for SEC Enforcement
On November 15, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the results of its latest round of enforcement actions against investment advisors. Compared to FY 2021: Enforcement actions increased...
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Investment Advisor Wins Expungement Of 1997 U5 Termination
In the late 1990s, about ten years into his career as a financial services professional, this advisor was terminated from the firm he had joined not two years prior. After...
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Understanding The Impact Of New AIMR Analytics Site — AdvisorCheck.com
Last week, AIMR Analytics launched a new website, AdvisorCheck.com, which pulls together data from both BrokerCheck and the Form ADV so that prospective investors and hiring firms can easily weed...
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Completing Your Annual Compliance Review: Dos And Don’ts For RIAs
As March quickly approaches, RIAs are reminded that it’s time to review their annual compliance. Every year, it’s vital for firms to hold an annual meeting with employees to thoroughly...
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Missouri Advisor Wipes 4 Customer Disputes From His Records
The first dispute arose in 2001, from customers who had only become clients of our advisor the year prior. The customers sought life insurance and tax deferral, and they purchased...
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2022 FINRA Enforcement Year-In-Review
Each month, FINRA releases a Disciplinary Action report documenting any enforcement actions brought against its roughly 612,000 registered representatives throughout the year. Compared to FY 2021: Enforcement cases decreased by...
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Another Advisor’s Perfect Record Restored With Expungement
In 2009, a Wisconsin-based advisor with a perfect record was hit with a customer dispute disclosure alleging misrepresentation and seeking damages of about $50K. The firm denied the claim, yet...
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AdvisorLaw Celebrates Transition Of $700,000 Producer To National Firm
{{dc:post:title}}\n\n{{dc:post:publish_date format='M. d, Y'}}\n\nRead More...\n\n{{dc:author:display_name}}\n\n{{dc:author:bio}}\n\nAdvisorLaw is proud to announce the transition of a financial advisor from Colorado, who has over 30 years of experience in the wirehouse industry. This individual...
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Finding a Custodian That’s Right For Your RIA
There are many important considerations when it comes to choosing a custodian for your RIA. An RIA custodian is an independent, third-party broker-dealer that provides services, such as executing transactions,...
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D.C. Financial Advisor Removes Sole Termination Disclosure
Over a decade into his career, a D.C.-based investment advisor rep had a five-year-old termination disclosure for allegedly failing to comply with firm policies regarding outside business activities (OBAs). Seeking...
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Can I be terminated due to an investor complaint?
In this week’s Ask An AdvisorLaw Expert, we’re asking the OG of FINRA industry disputes, Dochtor Kennedy, MBA, J.D., what happens when investors make formal complaints against advisors and how...
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Florida Advisor Scores Epic Win With Removal Of 9 Disclosures
Between 1999 and 2021, this 30-plus-year industry veteran accumulated nine customer disputes on his public records, four of which reflected settlements that ranged from $15,000 to nearly $200,000. With FINRA’s...
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SEC Penalties Prompt RIAs To Employ Greater Compliance Oversight
Over the last year, the SEC rolled out new rules and regulations regarding Form 13F, Form ADV, private funds, marketing and advertising, and environmental, social, and governance disclosures. Now, regulators...
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Ask an AdvisorLaw Expert: Can I form an RIA prior to leaving my current firm?
There are a number of important factors that an advisor needs to consider when deciding to leave a firm to form their own RIA. On this week’s Ask An AdvisorLaw...
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Financial Advisors: The Time to Plan For Retirement is Now
Contact Us Today! In a new guidance document, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sent a stark warning, urging member firms and representatives to form their succession plans as soon...
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Boca Raton Financial Advisor Clears Records With Expungement
More than 30 years into his career in the industry, this Boca Raton-based advisor had two customer disputes that had plagued his records since the 1990s. Seeking to once again...
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