I get the fact that anyone silly enough to work for a broker-dealer knowingly chooses to live in a fishbowl. Thanks to BrokerCheck, you can very easily learn more about a registered representative than you can about, say, a doctor, a teacher, a lawyer, you name it, all through a couple of mouse clicks. But,
FINRA’s Secret Power To Control Information
In the past week, I ran across two discrete instances in which FINRA acts as a secret gatekeeper of sorts, exercising its own subjective judgment, without anyone knowing what, exactly, it is doing or why, employing unarticulated standards, and without providing any avenue for redress. And I find that really frightening.
The first involves CRD,
Do Customers Actually Use BrokerCheck? This FINRA Complaint Suggests They Don’t
I heartily endorse this post from my colleague, Chris, who’s been quiet of late. It says a lot about FINRA, in terms of how it deigns to spend your assessment money, how fairness in the Enforcement process can be completely illusory, and how it is consistently unable to convince much of the investing public that
Quick Hits: That’s Right. The Hits Keep Coming for Registered Individuals
A couple of events caught my attention this week and, since they are related, I thought I’d address them together.
On Monday, the SEC announced a proposed rule change to FINRA Rule 8312, the FINRA BrokerCheck Disclosure Rule. Rule 8312 permits FINRA to disclose certain information on BrokerCheck about registered individuals. As many of you
BrokerCheck: Please, Sir, May I Have Some More?
FINRA recently announced a multi-million dollar ad campaign to increase public awareness of BrokerCheck, in an effort to increase the number of investors who actually use it. I had a few initial thoughts.
First, as I have observed before, it is hardly a secret that BrokerCheck does not serve as the basis for the vast
U-4 Omissions and Statutory Disqualification: Much Ado About Nothing
I have discussed in prior blogs some issues with the process of registering individuals, and ensuring that information on U-4 is complete and accurate. To some degree, the debate is a bit silly, if the question is whether there is enough information provided on BrokerCheck.
There is a real problem, however, one that is much
Problems with Registration of Registered Reps, Part 1: Does Anyone Actually use BrokerCheck?
I read with great interest the recent flurry of articles in the financial news, including one appearing on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, about the supposed flaws with FINRA’s BrokerCheck due to the fact that it omits from public view some items, e.g., certain misdemeanor convictions and financial issues (unsatisfied liens