February 1999
Year 2000 Legal Update
As we rapidly approach the Year 2000, there are some legal issues that all member firms should consider. Following is important information on disclosure requirements.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Staff Legal Bulletin No. 5 requires disclosure of Year 2000 information in the financial statements of all public companies. Amendments to SEC
SUGGESTED ROUTING
Senior Management
Institutional
Legal & Compliance
Operations
Trading
Executive Summary
On May 5, 1995, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved amendments to the Interpretation of the Board of Governors—Forwarding of Proxy and Other Materials under Article III, Section 1 of the NASD® Rules of Fair Practice1 (Interpretation). The
Dear Regulators,
To an ordinary investor like myself, one of the biggest advantages in investing this market is the freedom to invest whatever I see as opportunities, and versatility of products I can choose from to realize my investment strategy despite my budget and net worth. I personally believe restrictions you are planning to enforce on ordinary investors will greatly damage this freedom,
I am opposed to the restrictions FINRA is proposing on the ability of retail investors to buy leveraged and inverse ETFs. For one, this is an impugnment on basic freedom that the US is supposed to stand for. I am more than capable of reading the basic documentation for these funds and understanding the risks I choose to take. They are also critically important to my investing strategy and
I vehemently oppose restrictions on how I choose to invest my money in public investment of any kind. I am not a child and it's not your role to treat me like one. I shouldn't have to prove anything to anybody regarding the funds I desire to invest in. I know how to plan my investments. Whether they produce the results I desire is NOT your problem. It is mine. I'm
I believe that restricting access to these investments what hurt far more people than just allowing the risk to be there. I believe the majority of investors understand that funds that offer higher returns come with higher risk. It is already made clear in the prospectuses of every fund. Please let us make our own decisions. Many of us have been in these funds for years and they are an important
I oppose these new regulations that they want to implement in these ETFs. I think it is unfair that only qualified people or people with degrees in finance can access this type of investment. As a small investor, I believe that my money has the same value as yours, so I don't understand why there is discrimination. Each person assumes the risk of their investments. I beg you to
I oppose the type of regulation being proposed to access leveraged investments. I note that investors such as me have to submit a self assessment of their capabilities before they can open a trading account with brokers.
I also note that no such restrictions or limits on leveraged instruments are placed on the so called institutional investors and companies. I demand a level playing field.
I have the capability of making my own investment decisions. A lot of people have investment strategies using these products and know the risks and do not put their life savings them.
I actually have a Series 7 license and understand the risks. There are others that do not have a license but are traders that make a living of trading. I do not feel the government needs to regulate. There is
I invest in leveraged funds, and I am completely against this proposal. Specifically, I combine the leveraged funds with the non-leveraged versions of the same targeted index to achieve my desired level of leverage. While my returns obviously lag the index in adverse market conditions, I vastly outperform the market in up periods. I never use the inverse funds, but I always incorporate the
