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Our experts frequently write blog posts about the findings of the research we are conducting.

Displaying 91-100 out of 142 results for "Structured CDs Week".

SEC Litigation Releases: Week in Review - May 3rd, 2013

(May 2013)

Commission Obtains Temporary Restraining Order and Asset Freeze Against Massachusetts Man Who Defrauded Investors of At Least $5.5 Million
May 1, 2013, (Litigation Release No. 22694)
Earlier this week, the SEC obtained an asset freeze and temporary restraining order on Steven Palladino and his MA-based Viking Financial Group, Inc. in which he served as owner, president and vice president at various times. According to the SEC's complaint, Viking Financial Group raised almost $5.5 million from...

SEC Charges Victorville, CA and Airport Authority with Securities Fraud

(May 2013)

Earlier this week, the SEC charged the City of Victorville, California and several other entities with municipal bond fraud. The charges relate to a $13.3 million 2008 bond offering by the Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) Authority, which was intended to refinance an "ill-conceived" redevelopment project for airplane hangers at the former George Air Force Base, which closed in 1992.

Municipal bonds are sometimes considered among the safest investments available. Municipal bond...

Valuations of Non-Traded REITs

(May 2013)

Earlier this week, the Investment Program Association (IPA) presented their guidelines for the valuation of publicly registered non-listed REITs. According to the IPA, these guidelines are supposed to "enhance the independence of the valuation process" and "enhance the quality of valuation disclosures to the investing public." For a discussion of the guidelines, see Brian Louis's recent story on Bloomberg.com.

Non-traded REITs -- real estate investment trusts that are registered with the SEC...

Resurgence of Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities and Decreased Underwriting Standards

(Apr 2013)

Late last week, Reuters reported that the issuance of so-called 'large-loan' Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities (CMBS) has recently spiked and that the increase in volume may be due in part to more lenient underwriting standards. Large-loan CMBS issuance in the first few months of 2013 has already surpassed that of 2012.

CMBSs are created by securitizing a pool of commercial mortgage loans such that an investment in a CMBS is a claim on the future cashflows from the pool of commercial...

SEC Litigation Releases: Week in Review - April 26th, 2013

(Apr 2013)

SEC Announces Settlements with Cache Decker and David Decker in SEC V. Zufelt
April 23, 2013, (Litigation Release No. 22684)
A final judgment was entered against Cache D. Decker and David M. Decker, Jr. for their allegedinvolvementin "Ponzi schemes operated by Anthony C. Zufelt" through his company Zufelt, Inc. and Silver Leaf Investments, Inc. The final judgment orders the defendants to pay over $257,000 in disgorgement, pre-judgment interest, and penalties, as well as permanently enjoins...

Why So Many REITs?

(Apr 2013)

Real estate investment trusts (or REITs) have been all over the news recently. The value of many traded REITs has increased dramatically as the US housing market has recovered (see, for example, Vanguard's REIT ETF VNQ which is currently trading at or above pre-crisis levels). Many mortgage REITs have been making headlines for their rapid growth and potentially adverse effects on the financial system. And of course, non-traded REITs continue to see criticism for reasons we've highlighted...

SEC Litigation Releases: Week in Review - April 19th, 2013

(Apr 2013)

SEC Files Subpoena Enforcement Action Against Andrew Farmer and Iridium Capital, Ltd. for Failure To Produce Documents in Market Manipulation Investigation
April 18, 2013, (Litigation Release No. 22680)
Last week, the SEC filed a subpoena enforcement action against Andrew Farmer and Iridium Capital, Ltd. "According to the filing, the SEC is investigating possible market manipulation in connection with transactions in the securities of Chimera Energy Corporation." Subpoenas were issued last...

Taking the Teeth out of the STOCK Act

(Apr 2013)

NPR reported earlier this week that Congress has quietly overhauled important provisions of the STOCK Act . For those that don't know, the STOCK ("Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge") Act was signed into law in April 2012 and sought to prevent "Members of Congress and employees of Congress from using nonpublic information derived from their official positions for personal benefit, and for other purposes."

The STOCK Act was supposed to prevent Members and Congressional staff from trading...

SEC Litigation Releases: Week in Review - April 12th, 2013

(Apr 2013)

Securities and Exchange Commission v. Glenn Hoppes, United States Energy Corp., TN-KY Development Fund LP, TN-KY Development Fund II LP and TN-KY Development Fund III LP
April 8, 2013, (Litigation Release No. 22669)
According to the complaint (opens to PDF), Glenn Hoppes and four companies he controls ("United States Energy Corp., TN-KY Development Fund LP, TN-KY Development Fund II LP, and TN-KY Development Fund III LP") fraudulently offered "unregistered investments in oil drilling projects"...

Credit Spread Futures and the Futurization of CDS

(Apr 2013)

Yesterday S&P Dow Jones Indices announced the launch of three credit spread indices based upon constituents of the S&P 500. The indices are part of a suite of indices that "are designed to track the credit default swap market for global corporate credits, including those in distinct Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) sectors and sub-industries".*

S&P Dow Jones licensed the indices to the electronic exchange trueEX-- "the world's first CFTC-designated, Dodd-Frank compliant...

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