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.
Should your RIA be using more than one custodian?
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...
Read More
Three Key Steps to Follow When Buying a Financial Advisor Book of Business
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...
Read More
FINRA Disputes & U5 Terminations FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement RIA Compliance
Customer Dispute Expungement Through FINRA Arbitration
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...
Read More
Advisor Receives U5 Termination Disclosure Due to COVID-19
*If you're under FINRA or SEC investigation, or if you have a meritless disclosure on your BrokerCheck, CRD, or IAPD record, call us right now at (303) 952-4025 or click here to talk with...
Read More
How Advisors Can (And Should) Face Employment Disputes
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...
Read More
FINRA Disputes & U5 Terminations FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement IRS Tax Liens & Disclosures
What Triggers a FINRA Inquiry?
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,...
Read More
VUL-Related Complaint Expunged After A Decade Of Disclosure
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...
Read More
Financial Advisor Succession Planning: Your Complete Guide to a Smooth Exit
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...
Read More
Advisor Restores Record After Alleged Firm Violation
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...
Read More
Hybrid Broker Expunges 2 Customer Disputes From BrokerCheck
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...
Read More
Compliance Solutions For Small RIAs
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...
Read More
FINRA Disputes & U5 Terminations FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement
FINRA Limits Advisors’ Right to Arbitration & Disclosure Expungement
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...
Read More
Repeat Client Expunges Two Remaining Complaints
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...
Read More
FINRA Penalizes Advisors Who Fail To Disclose IRS Tax Liens
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...
Read More
Financial Advisor Seeks to Expunge Six Customer Complaints Over 30 Years
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...
Read More
Advisor Seeks Expungement of 30-Year-Old Complaint
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...
Read More
Investment Advisor Seeks Expungement of Form U5 Disclosure
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...
Read More
How to Tackle FINRA’s Rule 8210
Received a confusing FINRA 8210 request? Don't navigate it alone! Learn why relying solely on your broker-dealer isn't the best strategy and discover the importance of independent legal counsel for...
Read More
FINRA Disputes & U5 Terminations FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement
Customer Disputes Reporting & Options For Seeking Expungement
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...
Read More
25-Year Financial Professional Expunges Settled Dispute
A financial services professional who had been in the business for nearly 25 years had a settled customer dispute on his record that was meritless. Six full years after the...
Read More