Category: Investment Fraud

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Beware Fixed Index Annuities Phantom Bonuses and Other Downsides Insurance agents and financial advisors use the current volatile stock market environment to push fixed indexed annuities, particularly on seniors or persons getting close to retirement and concerned about future income levels. Industry reports say sales are up. Products […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Keeping Retirement Savings for Yourself Avoid Deferred Annuities With Fees and Surrender Charges The closer you get to retiring the more you try and save for the future. While saving as much as you can is important, where you put those savings is equally important. Insurance agents, financial […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Preventing Financial Exploitation of Seniors Tips on What to Watch For Some $2.9 billion is taken from older Americans every year, with victims numbering in the millions. Older persons with Alzheimer’s or other cognitive impairment are especially at risk.  Recent data from Adult Protective Services in San Francisco […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Annuity Salesmen Target Seniors Avoid the “Free Lunch” Commission-driven insurance agents target seniors and retirement savers with all kinds of complicated annuities especially in volatile markets. There’s an inherent conflict in their sales pitch because what’s best for the agent isn’t necessarily what’s best for the consumer. One […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER How Insurance Agents Can Financially Exploit Seniors Unscrupulous insurance agents can really wreak havoc on a senior’s finances. Agent misconduct ranges from outright theft to more subtle forms of exploitation such as selling unsuitable life insurance and annuity policies or churning a senior’s existing policies into new ones […]

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 Be On The Lookout for These Types of Securites Fraud Thousands of California investors are victims of investment or securities fraud every year. Federal and State securities laws provide remedies for defrauded investors but it’s wise to do your homework first so you don’t get caught in a […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Beware of Pump and Dump Schemes With Microcap Stocks Our securities fraud lawyers have written before in this column about pump and dump schemes and penny stocks. In a pump and dump, fraudsters artificially run up share prices (pump) and then dump the shares on the market down […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER High-Risk Private Placements Private placements are securities offerings that are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Companies raise billions of dollars through private placements, especially small or start-up companies. Investing in private placements is risky and can tie up your money for a long time; […]

ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER Preventing Fraud and Abusive Practices Always Check Backgrounds Before You Buy Hopefully, you already check the backgrounds of any contractors or caregivers or others you let in your home to do work. Checking the background of anyone trying to sell you an investment is equally important!  The Securities […]