Tim O'Connor's Blog

Compensatory Damages of $637,069.00 Assessed Against Morgan Stanley in Favor of Terminated Broker on Counterclaims in Retention Bonus Promissory Note Case   An arbitration panel of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has awarded terminated and former Morgan Stanley broker, David Ayres, compensatory damages of $637,069.00 on his counterclaims in a retention bonus promissory note […]

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority issued several warnings to its members, including Regulatory Notice 09-31, Regulatory Notice 09-65, and Regulatory Notice 09-53, specifically advising that these funds are not suited for small investors, and that even in the event they are in fact purchased in retail customer accounts, they should not be held overnight. Inverse […]

The various costs associated with variable annuity policies includes surrender charges and fluctuating costs of insurance charges, all of which means that the underlying cash values of the Variable Universal Life policy must work that much harder in order to maintain (and pay for) the life insurance benefit provided by the policy.  Other monthly deductions […]

The replacement of paid-up whole life insurance policies by Variable Universal Life (VUL) insurance policies has seen many retirees lose a lifetime of savings in a matter of years, due to various of the hidden cost features of Variable Universal Life insurance.   Whole life insurance policies offer life insurance coverage for the lifetime of […]

The victims of Ponzi schemes and theft involving their financial accounts may be afforded protection offered by broker blanket bonds, fidelity bonds, broker/dealer professional liability insurance coverage, errors and omissions policies, Registered Representative professional liability coverage, fiduciary coverages, and the like.   Many investors who have been victimized in theft schemes abandon all hope of […]