Recent Investor Newsletters

Investor Alert: Municipal Bonds—Important Considerations for Individual Investors
Investor Podcast: No Rainy-Day Savings Can Lead to Mortgage Problems
Investor Resource: Retire on Your Terms
FINRA Investor Education Foundation:
- Can You Ace the Quiz?
- Learn From One Investor Who Lost $100K to Fraud
FINRA News:
- FINRA Fines Merrill Lynch $1 Million and Orders Restitution of More Than $320,000 for Failing to Provide Customers Best Execution in Non-Convertible Preferred Securities Transactions
- FINRA Files Complaint Charging John Thomas Financial, CEO Tommy Belesis With Fraud
- FINRA Files Temporary Cease-and-Desist Order Against Success Trade Securities and CEO Fuad Ahmed to Halt Fraud
- FINRA Foundation Study Finds No Rainy Day Savings Can Lead to Mortgage Problems

Podcast: 5 Tips for Financial Security
FINRA Investor Education Foundation:
- FINRA Foundation Study Finds No Rainy Day Savings Can Lead to Mortgage Problems
- Fraudsters Exploit Faith and Trust to Steal $580 Million
- What You Should Know About ID Theft and Taxes
FINRA News:
- FINRA Bars Florida Broker for Unsuitable Recommendations and Unapproved Securities Transactions Involving 31 NFL Players
- FINRA Fines Ameriprise and Clearing Firm $750,000 for Failing to Supervise Transmittal of Customer Funds to Third-Party Accounts
- FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship Application Period Open From March 1 – 31
- FINRA Investor Education Foundation and United Way Worldwide Announce More Than $1 Million in Grants to Support Grassroots Financial Education Projects

Investor Alert: "Duration": What an Interest Rate Hike Could Do to Your Bond Portfolio
FINRA Investor Education Foundation:
- Are Your Credit Reports Error-Free?
- America Saves Week
FINRA News:
- FINRA Hearing Panel Dismisses Two of Three Causes of Action in Complaint Against Charles Schwab & Company
- FINRA Fines Five ING Firms $1.2 Million for Email Retention and Review Violations
- FINRA Investor Education Foundation and the American Library Association Announce $1.12 Million in Grants to Public Libraries to Support Financial Literacy
- FINRA Seeks A Cease-and-Desist Order Against Westor Capital Group and its President for Misappropriation and Misuse of Customer Funds and Securities; FINRA Also Files Complaint Charging Westor and President

Investor Resources:
- New 401(k) "Save the Max" Calculator
- Pruco Securities, LLC Restitution Information
Investor Alert: 5 Tips to Keep Your Finances from Going Off a Cliff
FINRA Investor Education Foundation:
- The Investment Con's Playbook
- Teens & Money: Understanding the Break-Even Point
FINRA News:
- FINRA Launches Small Claims Telephonic Mediation Pilot Program
- FINRA Issues Voluntary Interim Form for Crowdfunding Portals
- 2012: FINRA Year in Review

Investor Resource: What Investors Need to Know about Suitability
Investor Alert: 5 Year-End Investment Tips
FINRA Investor Education Foundation
- Scams, Schemes and Swindles: A Research Review
- New Smart Investing Website
- Video: How to Save for College
FINRA News:
- FINRA and JSDA Sign Cooperation Agreement
- FINRA Files Complaint Charging the President and Owner of Brooklyn Brokerage Firm TWS Financial for Operating Fraudulent Scheme Targeting Polish Community

Be Aware of Fraud
Video: Anyone Can Be a Victim of Fraud
Investor Alert: "Free Lunch" Investment Seminars: Avoid the Heartburn of a Hard Sell
Investor Resources:
- Hit by Hurricane Sandy?
- David Lerner Associates, Inc. Unfair Pricing Restitution
FINRA News:
- FINRA Increases Transparency in the TBA Market for Agency Pass-Through Mortgage-Backed Securities
- FINRA Expels Hudson Valley Capital Management and Bars CEO for Defrauding Clearing Firm and Customers
- FINRA Files Cease-and-Desist Order Against WR Rice Financial Services and its Owner Joel Wilson for Fraudulent Conduct

FINRA Foundation: Department of Justice-SEC Fraud Summits
Scam Alert: Beware of Phony IRS Websites
Restitution Information: David Lerner Associates, Inc. Apple REIT Ten
Investor Resources:
- How Much Do You Really Know About Investing?
- Podcast: It Pays to Understand Your Brokerage Account Statements and Trade Confirmations
- Video: How To Build a Budget
FINRA News:
- FINRA Sanctions David Lerner Associates $14 Million for Unfair Practices in Sale of Apple REIT Ten and for Charging Excessive Markups on Municipal Bonds and CMOs
- FINRA Expels EKN Financial Services for Defying SEC Order and For Numerous Compliance Violations
- FINRA Fines Guggenheim Securities $800,000 for Failing to Supervise CDO Traders; Two Traders Sanctioned for Efforts to Hide Loss
- FINRA Joins Exchanges and the SEC in Fining Hold Brothers More Than $5.9 Million for Manipulative Trading, Anti-Money Laundering, and Other Violations

Investor Alert: When Trading Stops: What You Need to Know About Halts, Suspensions and Other Interruptions
FINRA Investor Education Foundation Is Now on Facebook
Investor Resources
- Comparing Financial Products
- Report a Problem to FINRA
FINRA News:
- FINRA Fines Merrill Lynch $500,000 for Failing to File Required Reports
- FINRA Fines Rodman & Renshaw $315,000 for Supervisory and Information Barrier Violations; Former Chief Compliance Officer and Two Research Analysts Sanctioned

Investor Alert: Public Non-Traded REITs—Perform a Careful Review Before Investing
Investor Resources: Monitor Your Financial Health
Public Alert: Unregistered Soliciting Entities (PAUSE)
FINRA News:
- Military Spouses Receive Fellowships to Conduct Financial Counseling
- FINRA Expels WJB Capital Group, Inc. and Bars CEO and CFO for Misstating Financial Records and Net Capital Deficiencies
- FINRA Expels Biremis, Corp. and Bars President and CEO Peter Beck
- FINRA Marks Fifth Anniversary
- ASC and FINRA Sign Cooperation Agreement

Investor Alert: Exchange-Traded Notes—Avoid Unpleasant Surprises
Investor Resource: Avoid Consumer Scams and Rip-Offs
Podcast: Email Hack Attack? Here’s What You Should Do
FINRA News:
- FINRA Statement on Consolidated Audit Trail
- FINRA Launches Pilot Program for Large Arbitration Cases
- FINRA Fines Merrill Lynch $2.8 Million for Overcharging Customers; $32 Million in Remediation Paid to Affected Customers

Updated Investor Alert: Investing With Borrowed Funds—No "Margin" for Error
Investor Tool: Is Your Investment a Scam? Find Out With Our Scam Meter
Podcast: Tips for Weathering Tough Economic Times
FINRA News:
- FINRA Hearing Panel Fines Brookstone Securities $1 Million for Fraudulent Sales of CMOs to Elderly
- FINRA Fines Citigroup Global Markets $3.5 Million for Providing Inaccurate Performance Data Related to Subprime Securitizations

Investor Alert: Nutraceutical Stock Scams—Don’t Supplement Your Portfolio With These Companies
Check Out Your Investment Professional: FINRA Enhances BrokerCheck^®
FINRA News:
- FINRA Sanctions Four Firms $9.1 Million for Sales of Leveraged and Inverse Exchange-Traded Funds
- FINRA Hearing Officer Expels Pinnacle Partners Financial Corp. and Bars President for Fraud