Time was, the perfect stockbroker was equal parts salesman and stockpicker, but these days you have to throw a good measure of lawyering into the mix. Trouble is, professional-grade legal expertise does not come easy, and a little knowledge in...
Q: Back when I was 18 I was charged with two felonies. On one, the charges were completely dropped the next day. For the other, it was reduced to a minor violation (not even a misdemeanor). Now I am 50. I have steered clear of any similar...
A recent article in The Wall Street Journal described a probe securities regulators have launched into fee-based accounts. I paid extra attention, because charging a percentage of assets under management is the advice-and-compensation model I view...
There's one big problem with being on top, and the organization that administers the Certified Financial Planner designation is in the process of learning all about it. For years now, the CFP, issued by the Certified Financial Planner Board of...
To many rank-and-file financial advisors, the Martha Stewart-Peter Bacanovic case is very far removed from their everyday business experience. After all, how many brokers have such high-profile clients? But don't tune the case out completely. The...
Far too many reps are learning the hard way how little responsibility clients shoulder when it comes to assessing the suitability of their investments. When confronted with a suitability complaint, reps typically react with bluster: These charges...