Regulatory Issues (SEC, FINRA)

Data breaches are a growing concern for broker-dealers in the financial services industry. In recent months, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has reported a spike in "attempts by outside bad actors" to gain access to accounts. For broker-dealers, failing...

Of the many matters overseen by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), regulatory efforts aimed at cryptocurrency have given rise to some of the agency's perhaps most boggling determinations. That was made clear in a recent discovery hearing in the U.S....

As the collection of personal information is increasingly part of doing business in the United States and abroad, a growing number of states are passing privacy laws in an effort to protect individuals' personal data. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act...

Elon Musk, the South African CEO of Tesla – and of other companies – is an ongoing beacon of investment news, and his use of Twitter has had a noticeable influence on the value of particular stocks over the years. Signal Advance, Dogecoin and GameStop are examples of...

The buying frenzy in GameStop Corp. stock, which began late last month and saw the price rise as much as 1,700% as amateur traders using an online trading platform egged one another on, is apparently over (for now). Even with a slight bump up last Friday, the stock...

Millions of businesses have been able to survive during the pandemic with the help of the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which has provided 5.2 million loans totaling about $525 billion. However, since the CARES Act was passed in March, the Justice...

A former broker was recently sanctioned by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for allegedly engaging in outside cryptocurrency business activities. According to FINRA, the ex-Wells Fargo broker attempted to start a cryptocurrency company without first...

As you may know, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is a self-regulating association that conducts investigations into its members with regard to securities law compliance. FINRA oversees disciplinary actions for its broker-dealer members who violate...

A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) investigation under Rule 8210 isn’t something to panic about. Nor is it something to take lightly. Depending on the regulatory agency’s findings, yourself or your firm may face severe penalties. That can include a...