Blog
October 20, 2010
Many people on Wall Street were surprised when an arbitration panel awarded Larry Hagman, who played the rapacious oil baron J.R. Ewing in the 1980s hit series “Dallas,” won $11.6 million in a securities arbitration case against Citigroup. His broker, Lisa Detanna, was also surprised. She recently sent a letter about the case to hundreds […]
August 12, 2010
The firm announces it’s continuing investigation into the ASTA/Mat municipal arbitrage funds launched by Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. and sold through Smith Barney, part of Citigroup’s (NYSE:C) Global Wealth Management Group. The ASTA/Mat funds were first rolled out in 2002 and imploded in February 2008 causing catastrophic losses to investors. In May 2010 two Los […]
July 30, 2010
Bank of America Corp. raised $4.7 billion selling structured notes to U.S. investors through June, the most of any issuer and more than its 2009 total, as sales of the securities rose to a record pace. Structured Note investments have gained popularity among a diverse range of investors seeking tailored financial solutions. The increasing interest […]
January 28, 2010
In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Securities America Inc, the United States is seeing the first instance of a state regulator bringing an enforcement case against a company over private placement deals. This case stands as a significant turning point in the scrutiny of financial dealings and the responsibilities of investment firms and underscores the […]
January 20, 2010
The debate over the inclusion of a single fiduciary standard in financial reform legislation is now being hit with a new lobbyist assault under the guise of legislator education. The insurance industry lobbyist machine, perhaps the most vehement opposition to sweeping fiduciary reform, now wishes for the Senate to authorize a study over the implications […]