ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Financial Elder Abuse Protections Expanding
Over the past several years, financial elder abuse protections have expanded in the legislature, through industry regulation, and in the courts, particularly in California. The San Mateo County and California financial elder abuse attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. have been in the forefront of this expansion in both the federal and State courts in California. Our attorneys represent senior victims of financial elder abuse on all fronts – against unscrupulous insurance agents and financial advisors, negligent annuity and life insurance companies, fraudulent caregivers and fiduciaries, embezzling family members, agents misusing a Power of Attorney, reverse mortgage brokers and lenders, and con artists. We closely follow all federal, agency, and California legislative and court-ordered developments and changes in the field. If you or someone you love is a victim of financial elder abuse in San Mateo County or elsewhere in California, call Evans Law Firm, Inc. today at 415-441-8669, and we may be able to help.
Recently, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) also been taking a closer look at the financial industry’s treatment of senior customers. FINRA is the financial industry’s internal regulatory authority. FINRA routinely examines financial firms to evaluate their treatment of seniors. FINRA’s exams focus on a broad range of topics, including:
- the types of securities and suitability of securities sold to senior investors
- training of firm representatives with regard to senior specific issues and how firms address issues relating to aging (e.g., diminished capacity and elder financial abuse or exploitation);
- use of senior designations
- firms’ marketing and communications to senior investors
- types of customer account information required to open accounts for senior investors
- disclosures provided to senior investors
- complaints filed by senior investors and the ways firms track those complaints
- supervision of registered representatives as they interact with senior investors
When the financial abuser is a broker or advisor subject to FINRA regulation, there is likely a provision in the customer agreement requiring any disputes between the broker and customer to go to arbitration. There are time limitations and procedural details to follow. Financial elder abuse cases, especially those involving annuities, life insurance or retirement investments, can be very complex and the relevant documents lengthy and complicated. Whether your case may be subject to arbitration or not, always seek competent advice as soon as you have any suspicion that you or a loved one has been the victim of any kind of financial elder abuse or fraud.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one been the victim of financial elder abuse in San Mateo County or any California county, or are headed to a FINRA arbitrations, contact California financial elder abuse and securities attorney Ingrid Evans and the other financial elder abuse and securities attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. at (415) 441-8669, or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. Our attorneys have experience with annuities and life insurance and other complex financial contracts. We have experience representing clients against large insurance companies. We can help guide your case through FINRA arbitration, discovery, a jury trial or toward an equitable settlement. We handle cases involving physical and financial elder abuse, qui tam and whistleblower law, nursing home abuse, whole life insurance and universal life insurance, and indexed, variable, and fixed annuities.
