I have been managing my own investments for 35 years. I was trained at the graduate level to do this, but was never employed in the financial services industry.
Leveraged and inverse, open and closed funds, are useful instruments. In appropriate circumstances, I use these instruments. They are especially helpful for generating routine income (in retirement) and setting up hedges.
Not
The amount of retail investors and in particular those under 30, that I've heard of that have gone broke over the past four months in particular and who are making horrible decisions trading options and crypto products is terrifying!
People are maxing out their credit cards or taking out personal loans to frequently buy high risk and low return investments! Selling options on volatility
I do not believe testing investors' knowledge of complex products as a prerequisite to their purchase is an effective way to protect those investors. Test answers could be obtained from the internet without the investor actually retaining the knowledge effectively. Additionally, a lack of understanding of a particular subset of complex products should not be reason to deny the purchase of a
Dear FINRA Committee Members, Please do not impose trading restrictions on “Complex Products.” I am a retired public employee who has been investing for over 25 years, managing a ROTH account, 457 plan account, as well as a retail account. I sometimes use ETFs, including inverse and leveraged. They are an integral part of my investing toolbox. I am not a high net worth individual and desire to
In many cases, an unforeseen emergency can derail your financial plans. However, there are steps you can take to soften the impact of an unexpected hit to your finances. Here are a few tips on how to prepare for and survive financial hardships.
On April 20, 2015, FINRA launched a significant new initiative—the FINRA Securities Helpline for Seniors (HELPSTM)—to broaden its investor protection efforts. As part of FINRA’s commitment to the protection of senior investors, the Helpline is intended to be the “go-to” resource for senior investors with securities-related questions and concerns. FINRA’s focus on senior investors has steadily
Please note: The following information is intended to provide a general overview of the permitted activities of various registration categories, but it is not an exhaustive list. Please refer to Regulatory Notice 17-30, FINRA Rule 1220 and, regarding retired exam categories, NASD Rule 1032 for further details.
Series 6 - Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Limited Representative
FINRA 21-19 is a long overdue change. It is clear that the integrity of the United States market has been strained to the edge of disaster, in large part due to systemic risk developed under the regulatory authority of FINRA's outdated short interest reporting policy. While many of the policies mentioned in Regulatory Notice 21-19 address the general breadth of exploitable and ineffective
Executive SummaryFINRA recently held annual elections to fill vacancies on the Small Firm Advisory Committee (SFAC), the Regional Committees and the National Adjudicatory Council (NAC). Additionally, at its December meeting, the FINRA Board of Governors (FINRA Board) appointed several individuals to fill other vacancies on the SFAC and the NAC, and candidates for vacant Regional Committee seats
Background
The Military Personnel Financial Services Protection Act ("Military Act") was enacted to protect members of the U.S. Armed Forces from unscrupulous practices regarding sales of insurance, financial and investment products. Congress amended Section 15A(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with the enactment of the Military Act to require FINRA, as a registered securities
