The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association has stated that in 2019, it plans to keep pressure on state officials who consider following Nevada in imposing a higher standard of care on broker-dealers. Leaders of the organization said that after praising a federal proposal that has been in the making…
Articles Posted in SEC
Charges Filed Against John Maccoll For $4M Ponzi Scheme On Elderly Investors
In August, we told you about John Cochran Maccoll (CRD #839441) who was barred by FINRA after multiple fraud allegations. Since then, there have been two additional developments. Another customer has come forward and filed a complaint on 08/16/2018, alleging misappropriation of client funds from 10/01/2015 through 08/16/2018. The case…
The SEC Has Proposed New Regulations for Fiduciaries
What the new code of conduct rule entails and how it could affect elderly investors Up until earlier this year, the Department of Labor had a rule in effect for fiduciaries that specified that they couldn’t earn commissions unless the advice they offered was in the best interests of their…
Demitrios Hallas Investigated by SEC and FINRA for Anti-Fraud Violations
The New York broker has been charged with numerous violations, including misappropriation Though he’s currently not registered with a firm, Demitrios Hallas may never be allowed to work as a broker again. According to the SEC, from March 2014 to May 2016, Hallas violated a variety of anti-fraud provisions by…
SEC Announces Charges in Massive Telemarketing Boiler Room Scheme Targeting Seniors
A Long Island-based cold-calling scam allegedly stole more than $10 million from clients The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently brought charges against 13 defendants who allegedly operated two cold-calling investment scams in Long Island, NY. According to the complaint, the companies involved defrauded investors out of more than $10…
Federal Employee Benefit Counselors Targeted Federal Government Employee Retirement Plan Participants With Variable Annuities Scheme.
Silver Law Group and The Law Firm of David Chase are reviewing potential claims of fraudulent inducement of federal employees into purchasing high fee paying variable annuity products by LPL Financial LLC (CRD#6413) affiliated brokers Brandon Long (CRD# 5975459) , Christopher S Laws (CRD#4479529) , Johnathan Dax Cooke (CRD#5365691) and…
Investor Update: What You Need to Know About Churning
Churning is a Type of Securities Fraud What is churning? Simply put, churning is defined as excessive trading. While that sounds a bit benign and seemingly acceptable, here’s the catch: investment churning is actually considered to be the excessive purchasing and selling activity of securities (including stocks, bonds, mutual funds,…