Before seeking to sue a broker-dealer, it’s important that you take a step back and ask yourself a few questions. If you choose to move forward with a suit, it’s...

You have recently been named as a respondent in a FINRA arbitration filed by a customer against you and your firm. What should you do? The answer is simple: hire...

In 2020, the number of RIA firms hit a record 13,880, with the collective AUM hitting a record $110 trillion. As RIA firms grow, more and more firms with over...

If you’re considering buying a financial advisor book of business to expand your client base, there are three key steps that will help you to identify the right firm for...

When a broker-dealer files a Form U4 or U5 with the Central Registration Depository (CRD), customer disputes, terminations, and other disclosures become part of an advisor’s public record and appear...

The vast majority of rep agreements dictate that disputes that arise between the advisor and employer must be handled via a specified arbitration forum. That forum can be either FINRA’s...

FINRA inquiries are primarily triggered by disclosures on the Forms U4 and U5. Many of these disclosures stem from allegations made by a customer or broker-dealer. Some disclosures are financial,...

A financial industry veteran based in Atlanta wanted to remove a customer complaint regarding a variable universal life (VUL) insurance policy that the customer had kept in place for nearly...

A recent study indicated that less than one-third of advisors age 55 and older have not identified a successor for their practice, and more than half of advisors over age...

A financial advisor from the west coast was terminated for an alleged violation of a firm policy. During her tenure with the firm, she was never disciplined and consistently received...

A financial advisor from New Jersey, who has been in the industry for over two decades, sought to clean up two false customer disputes on his BrokerCheck profile and CRD...

Most RIAs start out as an exercise in independence — advisors want less bureaucracy, more payout, and better choices for their clients. Starting one’s own RIA becomes the solution, but...

FINRA continues to limit advisors’ right to be heard regarding their role in customer disclosures published to their CRD and BrokerCheck records. Broker-dealers are required to report any customer dispute to...

Recently, AdvisorLaw successfully helped a local securities broker, who has been in the business since the 1980s, expunge two customer disputes. Already sold on the value of cleaning up his...

Now that the IRS and state taxing authorities no longer report tax liens to the credit agencies, advisors may believe that they’re off the hook. But just because tax debt...

A financial advisor who began at Edward Jones nearly 30 years ago had picked up six customer complaints throughout his career. Like many disputes made by investors, all six of...

A financial advisor who had been in the industry for over 37 years sought expungement of a customer complaint. The customer had alleged that the financial advisor placed in an...

While working at an RIA in the 1990s, an advisor received a Form U5 termination disclosure from FINRA due to a disagreement with his partners. Today, this 30-year veteran investment...

If you spend the entirety of your career as a financial advisor, chances are you’re going to be hit with the dreaded FINRA inquiry, in the form of a Rule...

When a customer makes a complaint to a FINRA-registered firm or representative, FINRA rules dictate that the complaint be recorded in its Central Registration Depository (CRD) system as a customer...