In the News: Auction Rate Securities
(Dec 2010)
Forbes' blogger Bill Singer narrates the story of Grand Circle LLC.
Grand Circle had brokerage accounts at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and Wachovia. Through the recommendation of representatives at RBC and Wachovia, Grand Circle purchased auction rate securities (ARS). For business-related reasons, Grand Circle opened another brokerage account at CCO Investments Services Corp (CCO). Grand Circle's Investment Policy stated that it wanted safe, liquid and AAA rated securities and that...
FINRA Press Release: Excessive Mark-Ups
(Dec 2010)
FINRA Expels APS Financial, Bars Former President and Former Broker for Targeting an Elderly Investor with Fraudulently Excessive Mark-ups
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a press release today announcing that
"it has expelled APS Financial Corporation, located in Austin, Texas, barred the firm's former President, George Conwill, and barred Peter Aman, a former broker at the firm, in a scheme which overcharged an elderly investor by $1.2 million."
The...
SEC Press Release: Banc of America Bid Rigging
(Dec 2010)
SEC Charges Banc of America Securities With Fraud in Connection With Improper Bidding Practices Involving Investment of Proceeds of Municipal Securities
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a press release today announcing that it had
charged Banc of America Securities, LLC (BAS) with securities fraud for its part in an effort to rig bids in connection with the investment of proceeds of municipal securities.
"BAS has agreed to pay over $36 million, together with...
FINRA Investor Alert: Reverse Mortgages
(Nov 2010)
Reverse Mortgages: Avoiding a Reversal of Fortune
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued an Investor Alert to help investors make informed decisions on whether or not to take out a reverse mortgage. A reverse mortgage is a loan that is secured by the equity of the borrower's home. A reverse mortgage converts the equity into cash and the loan is paid off when the borrower dies or moves out and sells his or her home.
Investors should beware of a few things. Firstly,...
FINRA Press Release: Disclosure of Wells Notices
(Nov 2010)
Goldman Sachs to Pay $650,000 for Failing to Disclose Wells Notices
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a press release today announcing that
"it has fined Goldman, Sachs & Co. $650,000 for failing to disclose that two of its registered representatives, including Fabrice Tourre, had received formal notices from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that they were the subjects of investigations. Tourre's "Wells Notice" was issued in connection with the...
FINRA Press Release: Reverse Convertibles
(Oct 2010)
FINRA Orders Ferris, Baker Watts to Pay Nearly $700,000 for Inappropriate Sales of Reverse Convertible Notes
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a press release today announcing that
it has fined the former Ferris, Baker Watts LLC, acquired by RBC Wealth Management, $500,000 for inadequate supervision of sales of reverse convertible notes to retail customers as well as unsuitable sales of reverse convertibles to 57 accounts held by elderly customers who were at...
FINRA Regulatory Notice: Commodity Futures-Linked Securities
(Oct 2010)
Sales Practice Obligations for Commodity Futures-Linked Securities
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published Regulatory Notice 10-51 reminding firms to make fair and balanced statements in its communication with the public on commodity futures-linked securities. They are reminded that the returns on such securities can often deviate from the returns on the underlying commodities to which they track.
In an effort to further educate public investors, SLCG has written...
In the News: Structured Notes
(Oct 2010)
Bloomberg issued a news release today reporting that the amount of sales and issuances of structured products had reached a record in 2010. The demand for higher yields and caution in investing in stock were factors which contributed to the growth in structured products. According to Bloomberg, a popular structured product was the step-up callable note, which is a callable note that increases ('steps up') its fixed rate over time.
This calls for active analysis of the merits of...
SLCG Research: Leveraged Municipal Bond Arbitrage
(Oct 2010)
SLCG released today 'Leveraged Municipal Bond Arbitrage: What Went Wrong?'. Leveraged municipal bond arbitrage is a strategy employed by fixed income hedge funds. This strategy buys long term municipal bonds and sells or shorts long term Treasury bonds while hedging with interest rate swaps. The strategy would seek to profit from the difference in the rates it receives from the municipal bonds and the rates it pays on the Treasury bonds and interest rate swaps.
Brokers marketed hedge...
SLCG Research: Auction Rate Securities
(Oct 2010)
SLCG released today 'Auction Rate Securities'.
Auction rate securities were first issued in the mid-1980s by corporations. Over the next two decades ARS were issued widely by institutions ranging from closed-end mutual funds, municipalities to student loan trusts. ARS were long-term floating rate securities whose coupon payments were determined at auctions that were typically held every 7 to 35 days. ARS were long-term securities with short-term floating rates.
Broker dealers marketed...
