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.
Financial Advisor Succession Planning: A “Golden Parachute” for Your Career
Advisory practices around the U.S. have been faced with a new priority focus: succession planning. With many of the youngest baby boomers approaching their 60s, it’s alarming to learn that...
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Expungement Week 2020
Over the last five years, Doc Kennedy and AdvisorLaw have been dubbed the "800-pound gorilla" when it comes to FINRA arbitration cases. That reputation has been earned by absolutely dominating the FINRA...
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Advisors Pursuing Customer Dispute Expungements Before September Will Pay a Fraction of the New Cost
As published in the Federal Register, on June 1, 2020, the SEC approved FINRA’s proposed Rule changes to the customer dispute expungement process. Release No. 34—88945; File No. SR—FINRA—2020—005.
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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?
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.
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
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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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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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?
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
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
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?
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 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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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?
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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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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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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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
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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