Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive background on the recent legislative, regulatory, and prosecutorial scrutiny of mutual funds and underlying issues such as the level and transparency of fees and costs, distribution and sales practices, and fund governance....

Purpose – To provide a brief overview of US securities laws that apply to the marketing of hedge funds. Design/methodology/approach – Summarizes US securities offering rules, including Regulation S and Regulation D at the federal level, state securities laws, antifraud standards, and...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain the risk of bad mutual fund data for a financial services firm that sells mutual funds and to recommend steps a firm can take to ensure the reliability of its mutual fund data. Design/methodology/approach – Explains problems caused by missing...

Purpose – The purpose of this summary is to provide excerpts of selected Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Regulatory Notices issued from October to December 2007 and a sample of disciplinary actions during that period. In July 2007, FINRA Regulatory Notices replaced NASD Notices...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to summarize and discuss FINRA Rule 2821, which covers broker‐dealer sales practices with respect to purchases and exchanges of deferred variable annuities. Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the transactions to which the rule applies;...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide excerpts of selected Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Regulatory Notices issued from January to March 2008 and a sample of disciplinary actions during that period. In July 2007, FINRA Regulatory Notices replaced NASD Notices to...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide excerpts of selected Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Regulatory Notices issued from April to June 2008 and a sample of disciplinary actions during that period. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides excerpts from...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze causes and regulators' responses to the current international financial market crisis. Design/methodology/approach – The paper discusses warning signs of the crisis in world financial services markets, principal underlying problems that have...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide excerpts of selected Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Regulatory Notes issued in July and August 2008. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides excerpts from the June 2008 Supplement to the Options Disclosure Document;...

Purpose – The purpose of this summary is to provide excerpts of selected Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) regulatory notices and disciplinary actions issued in July and August 2009 and a sample of disciplinary actions during that period. Design/methodology/approach – The paper...