It is bad enough that many families are losing their homes to foreclosure, but scammers are preying on some of these families and making life all the worse. The Federal Trade Commission as produced this video to hopefully alert vulnerable homeowners to these scam artists tactics and hopefully avoid the associated losses. FacebookTwitter

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has fined five bank broker-dealers a total of $1.65 million for deficient supervision and procedures related to variable annuity (VA), mutual fund or unit investment trust (UIT) transactions. Brokers at each of the firms operated out of branches of affiliated banks, selling VAs, mutual funds or UITs to bank [...]

Many people are concerned about potential inflation in the not too distant future. This story indicates that, at least, Mr. Bernanke has some steps in mind to battle inflation while still attempting to encourage the economic growth we need to produce more jobs. July 20 (Bloomberg) — To keep interest rates at a record low, [...]

The 1.6% increase was the largest one-month gain since July 2005 Residential real estate prices gained 1.6% in May, representing the largest one-month increase since July 2005, according to an analysis by Integrated Asset Services in Denver. For the rest of the story… Real estate prices posted gain in May – Investment News Posted using [...]

Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner today sought to downplay the idea of a second economic stimulus plan, saying the need for another program is a decision the administration “can’t really make” now. In an interview on CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” Geithner also was asked about reining in federal borrowing, whether tax increases would be needed [...]

Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. of Minneapolis has agreed to pay $17.3 million to settle charges that it received nearly $31 million in undisclosed compensation for selling its brokerage customers real estate investment trusts between 2000 and 2004, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced today… “Few things are more important to investors than getting unbiased advice [...]

As more financial advisors sell insurance, a recent report indicates some could be unsuitably cross-selling annuities in conjunction with reverse mortgages. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, requested by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and released in June, cites recent cases in which reverse mortgages were sold to seniors to get them to inappropriately invest [...]

A significant point for investors is whether or not your advisor is a fiduciary. This story is one indicator of what can happen when your advisor is not a fiduciary but simply required to meet a “suitability” standard. Ameriprise Financial has agreed to pay $17.3 million to settle charges that it received millions of dollars [...]

Scrutiny of the due diligence performed by independent financial advisors and broker-dealers on alternative investments has increased dramatically, according to experts. Regulators and arbitration panels expect member firms and their registered representatives to conduct significant due diligence and to communicate their findings to investors, said Derek C. Anderson, Esq., an attorney with the law firm [...]

Omaha, Neb. June 29, 2009 – A new survey of independent registered investment advisors (RIAs) released today by TD AMERITRADE Institutional, a division of TD AMERITRADE Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: AMTD), shows RIAs surveyed continue to report strong growth as investors move their money from wirehouses to independent advisors. More than 80 percent of RIAs surveyed [...]