Securities Fraud Category Archives — Page 4 of 8 — Securities Fraud Lawyers Blog Published by Securities Fraud Attorneys

Does Your Broker Have Your Best Investment Interests in Mind?

Published on: July 15, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

When you entrust the the management of your investment portfolio to a broker, that’s a big deal. If you are going to ask someone to assist you in managing your financial future, you are going to want to know that they have your best investment interests at heart. The relationship between you and your broker should be entirely founded on trust, honesty and transparency. And for many broker/investor relationships, that is true.

Unfortunately, we find that isn’t always the case.

Obviously, selecting a broker is no simple task; you don’t just pick a name out of the phone book and go with them. Finding the right broker takes research and due diligence. You want to know that your broker is properly registered and in good standing.

6 Ways That May Help You Recover Investment Losses After Securities Fraud

Published on: June 30, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

As an investor, risks are things you have to take into account. Before every investment decision, you need to assess potential risks and recognize ways to mitigate them. While its true that some securities and assets may have more associated risks than others, there is one they all share: the risk of fraud.

However, while you may be able to account for fraud risks, sometimes they can prove tough to disarm and avoid. Even the shrewdest of investors have been victimized by investment scams. The fact is, fraud can be tricky. Scammers have a lot of tools in their arsenal to dupe investors and, unfortunately, they can be quite cunning.

That’s why investment losses happen.

The Fiduciary Rule is Dead – Here's What It Means for Your Retirement Planning

Published on: June 15, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

The Fiduciary Rule is Dead! Long Live the Fiduciary Rule!

Well… it didn’t get quite such a commemorative send-off. In fact, it got the sort of ignominious sentence fit for a mongrel animal or a disowned family member. Yes, the Department of Labor (DOL)’s fiduciary rule is dead and it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing anything resembling a revival.

If you have not been following, the demise of the fiduciary rule follows a months-long saga that has gripped the investment industry. If you have been following but you’re a little lost, that’s okay. The events leading to the recent outcome have been full of so many twists and turns it’s easy to lose the trail.

Senior Investor Alert: 5 Easy Ways to Spot Scams Targeting Your Nest Egg

Published on: May 15, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

If you’re a senior investor, you’ve likely been planning and saving for years to build your portfolio. You have rightfully earned everything you have accrued over the years and you deserve to realize the fruits of that labor in your golden years.

Unfortunately, your nest egg marks you as a target for investment fraud. Scammers like to prey on what they consider “easy targets” – those without the means to defend or protect themselves against investment fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has regularly cited senior investor scams as a chronic fraud issue. Most recently, the SEC has pointed to Ponzi schemes as a major vehicle for perpetrating investment fraud against seniors.

Ponzi Schemes Targeting Seniors

Protecting Your Investments Against Affinity Fraud

Published on: April 15, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

In a recently filed complaint,The SEC charged a prominent pastor in a scheme to defraud investors out of millions of dollars. Using his religious clout and reputation, the pastor leveraged investments out of devoted followers, mainly elderly. Between 2013 and 2014, the SEC alleges that Kirbyjon Caldwell, Pastor of the Windsor Village Methodist Church and Gregory Alan Smith, a financial planner previously barred by FINRA managed to dupe investors out of nearly $3.5 million. Caldwell and Smith used most of the funds to cover personal expenses. They funneled the remaining funds to off-shore accounts.

The case represents a pervasive issue for financial and securities regulators: affinity fraud.

What is affinity fraud?

5 Largest Investment Fraud Cases in History

Published on: April 5, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Is your broker broke? Are you worried they’re going to break your bank? At Savage Villoch Law we’re determined, no, obsessed with keeping that from happening.

We will work with and for you to keep your money, business, and reputation safe in the financial/legal world. Financial investment fraud criminals are our worst enemies.

If we had our way, no one would have ever been swindled by the five infamous criminals below.

Wells Fargo’s Wealth-Management Business Under Scrutiny

Published on: March 15, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Industry watchdogs turn their focus on Wells’ wealth-management services

It seems that we may not have yet seen the end of the Wells Fargo accounts scandal. The Justice Department has taken an increased interest in Wells Fargo’s wealth-management unit following whistle-blower claims that the bank’s wealth-management customers have been affected.

According to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article, the Justice Department ordered Wells Fargo to conduct an investigation into the bank’s own wealth-management business, in response to claims of unfair practices. The investigation into any potential wrong-doing is the first focused on services offered by Wells Fargo outside banking, namely its financial and investment advisory business.

My Big Co(i)n: Cryptocurrency Scams Play on Same Old Tricks

Published on: February 2, 2018 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Bitcoin – Big Coin – Bitcoin – Big Coin…

Read that over a few times. Are those two words beginning to sound similar?

That’s what the founders of My Big Coin, Inc. were hoping when they created their cryptocurrency investment offering. The Nevada-based company has been accused of defrauding investors hoping to cash-in on the recent investment trend.

Top Investor Tips for 2017

Published on: December 29, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

Investor Tips: A Year in Review

With a new year upon us, we thought we’d look back at the most popular questions investors have been asking over the past year. Here are the most popular investor tips for 2017:

Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs)

With Cordray’s Resignation, What’s Next for the CFPB?

Published on: November 17, 2017 | by Savage Villoch Law, PLLC

This week, Richard Cordray handed in his resignation as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The early resignation comes at a time of increased criticism over current financial regulations and an uncertain outlook for many regulatory bodies. The CFPB especially, has been subject of intense criticism from the financial industry as overbearing and stifling.

As Director, Cordray was very much the face and voice of the bureau. Under Cordray, the Consumer Bureau held very close to the guiding tenets under which it was created: to protect financial consumers from unethical behavior. His departure leaves senior officials in the bureau and supporting lawmakers scrambling to secure the future of the CFPB against a regulatory overhaul.

What exactly is the CFPB?