ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER FINRA Reports Surge In Financial Elder Abuse Claims Unsuitable Products, Breach of Contract, Negligent Advice and More Investors harmed by broker or advisor recommendations can file complaints about the misconduct with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). FINRA has the power to levy fines and disciplinary sanctions.  The […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Full and Partial Surrenders or Cancellations of Athene Annuity and Life Company Annuities Athene Annuity and Life Company, formerly Aviva Annuity and Life Company,[1] issues fixed indexed annuities in California.  These contracts, like all deferred annuities, include penalties for early withdrawals, known as surrenders.  Surrenders may be full […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER False Claims Act Cases For Unnecessary Treatments Pharmacist Brings Large Whistleblower Suit Against Clinic Healthcare fraud against Medicare and Medicaid amounts to billions of dollars every year. Billing for unnecessary treatments is a major type of this fraud.  Whistleblowers bring most of the recovery actions when it comes […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Greater Disclosures Still May Not Tell The Full Story Variable annuities and variable life insurance contracts are expensive, complex securities sold by prospectuses and subject to regulation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).   This week, the SEC announced proposed rule changes intended to improve disclosures for […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Understanding Riders in Annuities The Death Benefit Rider Sales Pitch Riders are endorsements added to annuity contracts sold to enhance the benefits payable under those contracts. There are several types of riders, two of the most common being income riders and death benefit riders.  We have written on […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Unraveling The Woodbridge Ponzi Scheme Former CEO To Pay $120 Million Fine Robert Shapiro, former chief executive officer of the Woodbridge Group of Companies, has reportedly agreed to pay $120 million to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to settle allegations he defrauded investors in a massive $1.2 […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER False Claims Act Cases For Kickbacks and Falsifying Records Two Large Whistleblower Settlements Awards in whistleblower cases brought for false claims against the government can be very substantial. Last week, the government announced two settlements in false claim whistleblower cases with rewards for the whistleblowers, discussed below, that […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Seniors: Watch Out for Stockbroker Fraud If You’re a Victim, We Can Help Unscrupulous stockbrokers prey on seniors in particular. After all, seniors hold 1/3 of the nation’s wealth. Seniors may also be more receptive to higher return opportunities in a low interest rate environment.  Be careful.  Stockbroker […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Court-Appointed Fiduciaries Wield Great Power Potential for Abuse of Power Court-appointed conservators and other fiduciaries (such as guardians or trustees) wield enormous power over the dependent individuals and properties they are appointed to manage and protect. Court appointments supersede earlier Powers of Attorney, trustee nominations and the like […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Annuity Scams Targeted At Seniors Annuity Fraud On average, a senior victimized by financial elder abuse loses over $140,000. That level of monetary loss is devastating.  Unscrupulous insurance agents are among the financial predators on seniors, selling them unsuitable annuities and life insurance that line agents’ pockets with […]