Category: Bay Area

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER FINRA Arbitration Shuts Down Broker Material Misrepresentations Oftentimes, individuals who invest their money also invest their trust. When they hand over their money, they assume that their broker or financial advisor is going to make decisions that will benefit the investor: personally, financially, and beyond. But what happens […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Sonoma County Whistleblower Awarded Damages Sonoma State University Whistleblower Recently, an employee of Sonoma State University made claims that he was harassed by members of the university’s staff for speaking up on a very serious issue: asbestos. When the whistleblower refused to stay quiet about the harm of […]

California Law Prohibits Cross-Selling of Reverse Mortgages and Annuities Beware of Pressure Tactics Seniors in Alameda and Marin County and throughout the State of California are often approached to take out reverse mortgages on their homes. Often, these individuals have substantial equity and significant appreciation in home value but reduced […]

Surrender Charges: The Unlikely and Often Unnoticed Aspect of Annuities Annuities Annuities are being sold in unbelievable numbers these days, as insurance companies and agents convince individuals it makes sense to put their money in some sort of insurance “investment.” Yet, annuities contain many severe disadvantages to the consumer, such […]

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Tips for Whistleblowers What the SEC Looks For The SEC needs your help in tracking down securities fraud. Whistleblowers bring useful information to the SEC that can lead to investigation and prosecution – and a possible reward for the whistleblower’s help. In January of this […]

California Audit Exposes Poor Background Checks Performed Before Hiring For Positions Related To Elder Care Background Checks The California Department of Social Services’ Community Care Licensing Division is a sub-department that oversees 75,000 facilities throughout the state. Their essential job is to keep elders, children, and disabled members of the […]

Problems with Variable Annuities Are Variable Annuities Right for You? Retirement planning discussions these days often touch on annuities. Whether it’s a salesman’s pitch or a co-worker’s tip, you’ve likely heard of variable annuities. For decades, variable annuities were the darling of those who peddled retirement plans. No portfolio was […]

Financial Elder Abuse Goes Beyond Bank Accounts The Reach of Financial Elder Abuse. Seniors are not the only victims when financial elder abuse strikes. A recent look at the epidemic of elder abuse indicates that the more we study the painful truth of financial elder abuse, the more we learn […]

Self-Dealing Lawsuits Mount Against JP Morgan, Price, and Others Fiduciary Self-Dealing Injures Employee/Plan Participants Now, another participant in the JPMorgan Chase 401(k) Savings Plan has sued plan executives alleging that the plan favored JP Morgan investments over less-expensive investment options. That self-dealing, the complaint alleges, violates fiduciary duties under the […]

Broad Interpretation of Whistleblower Laws Should Favor Whistleblowers Whistleblowing Whistleblowing has been attracting media attention lately, and for good reason. Individuals are coming forward with important information regarding large corporations breaking regulations. In some cases, these individual employees are terminated, opening a whole new can of worms. Yet, a new […]