The FINRA Board of Governors met this week to discuss a number of issues, including several rulemaking items. A summary of the rule proposals that relate to FINRA arbitration, as approved by the FINRA Board, are below. Broadening Chairperson Eligibility in Arbitration The Board authorized filing with the SEC proposed amendments to Rules 12400 and […]
One of the hottest investment products being pitched by Wall Street, in the low interest environment that has persisted over the past few years, has been Energy Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”) – an investment product with above average yields and, all too often, above average commissions for the financial advisors who have touted them. Unfortunately, […]
An April 10, 2016 article in The Wall Street Journal (“A $2.5 Billion BDC Halts Redemptions After Limit Reached”) describes how volatile markets have prompted a “rush of investors” to attempt to redeem their investments in non-traded Business Development Companies. The Business Development Corporation of America (“BDCA”), a $2.5 billion fund, said in a securities […]
Recent statistics indicate that there are over 110 MLPs trading on major exchanges, with oil & gas midstream activities – gathering, processing, natural gas compression, pipelines, storage, refining, distribution, and marketing – representing the dominant activity. The latest U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission filings by a number of Energy Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”), however, provide […]
As noted in an April 1, 2016 article in The Wall Street Journal (“MLP Investors’ Maze of Tax Trouble Keeps Getting Worse”), investors are learning the hard way that energy MLPs, set up to shield companies from Uncle Sam, could have unexpected tax consequences when times get tough. It is yet another sign investors didn’t […]