SLCG Research: Mutual Fund's Term
(Apr 2010)
SLCG released today 'What Does a Mutual Fund's Term Tell Investors?'
Bond mutual funds are classified by Morningstar as ultra short, short, intermediate or long-term. Bond mutual funds have found a way to hold long-term bonds while being classified as ultra-short or short.
In this paper, we demonstrate how the losses suffered by these funds in 2008 can be explained by the increasing credit risks of holding long-term bonds. Furthermore, we find that the classification of these funds as...
FINRA Press Release: Provident Asset Management
(Mar 2010)
Dallas-based Provident Asset Management Expelled for Marketing Fraudulent Private Placements Offered by Affiliate in Massive Ponzi Scheme
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a press release today announcing that
"it has expelled Provident Asset Management, LLC, a Dallas-based broker-dealer, for marketing a series of fraudulent private placements offered by its affiliate, Provident Royalties, LLC, in a massive Ponzi scheme."
A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent scheme...
FINRA Fines H&R Block Financial Advisors
(Feb 2010)
FINRA Fines H&R Block Financial Advisors $200,000 for Inadequate Supervision of Reverse Convertible Notes Sales, Suspends and Fines Broker for Unsuitable Sales to Retired Couple
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued a press release today announcing that it had
[fined] H&R Block Financial Advisors, Inc., (n/k/a Ameriprise Advisor Services, Inc.) $200,000 for failing to establish adequate supervisory systems and procedures for supervising sales of [reverse convertible...
FINRA Regulatory Notice: Reverse Convertibles
(Feb 2010)
FINRA Reminds Firms of Their Sales Practice Obligations With Reverse Exchangeable Securities (Reverse Convertibles)
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published Regulatory Notice 10-09 reminding financial firms selling reverse convertibles notes (RCN) to provide fair and balanced sales materials and communications, including proper statement on the risks associated with such notes.
In an upcoming SLCG study on RCN, we have found that investors of RCNs have been...
FINRA Investor Alert: Variable Annuities [Update]
(Sep 2009)
Variable Annuities: Beyond the Hard Sell
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published an Investor Alert to help investors decide on how to invest for retirement. An annuity makes periodic payments to the holder of the annuity. There are fixed annuities that make fixed payments and variable annuities that make variable payments.
Annuities can carry costs and risks that many investors may not be aware of because brokers who are incentivized by commission-generation do...
FINRA Investor Alert: Leveraged and Inverse ETFs
(Aug 2009)
Leveraged and Inverse ETFs: Specialized Products with Extra Risks for Buy-and-Hold Investors
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued an Investor Alert to help investors understand the performance objectives of leveraged and inverse exchange-traded funds.
Exchange-Traded Funds is an investment fund that holds stocks, bonds, or commodities and typically tracks specific indices representing such asset classes. Introduced in 1993 by State Street Global Advisors, ETFs...
FINRA Investor Alert: Life Settlements
(Jul 2009)
Seniors Beware: What You Should Know About Life Settlements
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published an Investor Alert on life settlement. Life settlement is the transaction that involves selling one's life insurance policy to a third party that did not issue the policy for a lump sum payment whose value is higher than the policy's cash surrender value but less than the net death benefit.
Because life settlement is targeted at senior people, the industry can be...
SLCG Research: Charles Schwab YieldPlus
(Jul 2009)
SLCG released today 'Charles Schwab YieldPlus Risk'
This paper reports on the Charles Schwab YieldPlus, a bond fund. YieldPlus returned -31.7% between June 2007 and June 2008. Though it told investors that it was an ultra short bond fund, it was in fact an ultra long bond fund. It held securities backed by illiquid long-term private label mortgages, violating concentration and liquidity limits stated in its prospectus. Up until 2007, these securities helped YieldPlus generate...
FINRA Investor Alert: Municipal Bonds
(Jun 2009)
Municipal Bonds-Staying on the Safe Side of the Street in Rough Times
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) published an Investor Alert on municipal bonds. This provides a thorough background on municipal bonds and advice on investing.
There are certain risks in investing in municipal bonds. For example, the municipality issuing the municipal bonds can default, leading to the loss of some (if not all) interest and principal to the investor. This is called default risk....
