Industry Insights

Industry Insights

Industry Insights

Industry Insights


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.

Is A Social Media Post Worth Your Job?
FINRA Disputes & U5 Terminations FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement RIA Compliance

Is A Social Media Post Worth Your Job?

Lately, AdvisorLaw has been hearing from more and more financial advisors who have imperiled their careers with social media posts and comments. We like to say that “it’s a free...
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Will old investor complaints have to be disclosed after the SEC’s Reg BI takes effect?
FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement RIA Compliance

Will old investor complaints have to be disclosed after the SEC’s Reg BI takes effect?

Will investment advisors with customer disputes over ten years old have to disclose them on their Form ADV under the new SEC Regulation Best Interest Rule that’s taking effect after...
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Working from home? Stay socially distant, virtually connected.
FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement RIA Compliance

Working from home? Stay socially distant, virtually connected.

When working remotely, there are some things to keep in mind to remain compliant and productive. Be sure you’re following the written policy and any written guidance provided by your...
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FINRA Is Jacking Up The Cost Of Expungement For Brokers
FINRA Expungement & Arbitration

FINRA Is Jacking Up The Cost Of Expungement For Brokers

Proposed rule changes in front of the SEC exponentially increase the minimum fees for FINRA disclosure expungement from $50 to $1,575. So, a typical expungement case would ultimately jump from...
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The Stakes for a Clean Record are Now Even Higher
FINRA Disputes & U5 Terminations FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement RIA Compliance

The Stakes for a Clean Record are Now Even Higher

​Effective June 30, 2020, the SEC is enforcing sweeping reform, entitled “Regulation Best Interest: The Broker-Dealer Standard of Conduct,” commonly referred to as “Reg BI.” At the same time, the SEC...
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A Stacked Deck: Inside the 2019 FINRA New Customer Dispute Expungement Process
FINRA Disputes & U5 Terminations FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement

A Stacked Deck: Inside the 2019 FINRA New Customer Dispute Expungement Process

News that the expungement of qualified customer disputes was under fire from the regulators first became known on December 6, 2017; when FINRA published Regulatory Notice 17-42. Since then, the industry...
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Which Firm Handles the Most FINRA Expungement Cases Filed by Financial Advisors?
Case Results & Wins FINRA Expungement & Arbitration

Which Firm Handles the Most FINRA Expungement Cases Filed by Financial Advisors?

​We don't expect you to keep your finger on the pulse of the advisor-defense industry. So let us quickly bring you up to speed on the most crucial element that...
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PIABA Foundation “Study” of Problems with FINRA Expungement Process Devolves Into Unhinged Manifesto
FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement

PIABA Foundation “Study” of Problems with FINRA Expungement Process Devolves Into Unhinged Manifesto

PIABA, the group of investor attorneys that are beloved by all financial advisors, have had their Foundation release a "study" ripping the current expungement process to shreds. Yes, the same niche...
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Putting a Succession Plan in Place
Mergers & Acquisitions Succession Planning

Putting a Succession Plan in Place

When a retiring advisor’s clients know their advisor's plan for retirement and have started to build a relationship with the successor, success that the book will transition and stay with...
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What if Compliance Accuses You of a Firm Policy Violation?
FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement RIA Compliance

What if Compliance Accuses You of a Firm Policy Violation?

On Wednesday, while on vacation, an advisor got a call from his broker-dealer’s compliance department. It was from a young woman who was fairly new to the compliance team. She...
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FINRA’s Goal: Investor Protection?
FINRA Disputes & U5 Terminations FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement

FINRA’s Goal: Investor Protection?

When you click on the “About FINRA” hyperlink located at the very top of FINRA’s website, the first sentence you will see is: ​ “FINRA is dedicated to investor protection...
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7 Transition Tips for Leaving With a Clean U5
FINRA Disputes & U5 Terminations FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement Starting your own RIA

7 Transition Tips for Leaving With a Clean U5

​We’ve all been there: A new and better opportunity presents itself, we’re looking to move up in our careers, or we’re just sick of working for Susan, a hapless manager...
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Auction Rate Securities: The Conservative’s Conservative?
FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement

Auction Rate Securities: The Conservative’s Conservative?

For over 25 years, Auction Rate Securities (ARS) products were considered safe and sound investments. Then, everything changed in 2008 when investment banks stopped purchasing ARS products at the beginning...
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The Other Costs of Having FINRA U4 Disclosures on Your BrokerCheck
FINRA Disputes & U5 Terminations FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement

The Other Costs of Having FINRA U4 Disclosures on Your BrokerCheck

Losing potential business due to customer complaints on your BrokerCheck report is bad enough, but it isn’t the only cost of having FINRA U4 disclosures on your CRD.  Today, most...
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How One Firm Handled Three Out of Five Broker Expungement Requests in 2018
Case Results & Wins FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement Reviews

How One Firm Handled Three Out of Five Broker Expungement Requests in 2018

A Denver-based firm appears to have made a cottage industry out of clearing broker records — and its founder is in no way apologetic about being the leader in a...
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Cleaning Up Tainted Broker Records Becomes a Cottage Industry For One Law Firm
Case Results & Wins FINRA Disputes & U5 Terminations FINRA Expungement & Arbitration FINRA, SEC, State & CFP Board Enforcement Reviews

Cleaning Up Tainted Broker Records Becomes a Cottage Industry For One Law Firm

Critics may take Dochtor Kennedy to task for helping brokers clean up their disciplinary records, but no one can argue with his success. The 39-year-old president and founder of AdvisorLaw,...
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Colorado Court Shuts Down FINRA Over Expungement Confirmation
Case Results & Wins FINRA Expungement & Arbitration Reviews

Colorado Court Shuts Down FINRA Over Expungement Confirmation

Do you ever go to a meeting where it seemed that everyone showed up on time, they started the presentations at the designated hour, and then, just as things began...
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Using Your BDA Dollars to Help Solidify Your Brand
FINRA Expungement & Arbitration

Using Your BDA Dollars to Help Solidify Your Brand

Contact Us Today! Many financial professionals have pre-tax dollars provided by their broker-dealer to help them market and advertise their business.  Unfortunately, with the ubiquity of FINRA's BrokerCheck and Google, any monies...
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FINRA’s Focus on Financial Advisors With Customer Disputes
FINRA Expungement & Arbitration

FINRA’s Focus on Financial Advisors With Customer Disputes

We've known for some time that FINRA ranks their brokers based on negative disclosures on their Form U4 and CRD.  However, that information has never been released to the public...
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AdvisorLaw Successfully Obtains 50 FINRA Expungement Awards
Case Results & Wins FINRA Expungement & Arbitration Reviews

AdvisorLaw Successfully Obtains 50 FINRA Expungement Awards

AdvisorLaw has just reached an important and impressive milestone in the financial advisor industry.  We have just reached our 50th winning award for customer dispute expungement in 2017 through FINRA's Rule 2080 arbitration...
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