Cash Flow Financial Embroiled in Commodity Pool Ponzi Scam The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission said that Cash Flow Financial LLC, Alan James Watson, and Michael S. Potts will pay over $91.9 million for their involvement in a commodity pool Ponzi scam. The regulator claims that the defendants fraudulently solicited…
Investor Lawyers Blog
FDIC Approves New Swaps Rules for Banks
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has adopted new rules mandating that banks collect more collateral, also known as margin, for swaps transactions. This would serve as a type of insurance in the event that trades were to fail. Swaps involve two parties swapping price swing risks in interest rates, currencies,…
FINRA Orders 12 Financial Firms to Pay $6.7M for Not Charging UIT Purchase Discounts
Twelve financial firms will pay over $4 million in restitution and fines of over $2.6M for purportedly not applying sales charge discounts to the sale of Unit Investment Trusts. The fines are also for supposed supervisory failures. The firms and the payments they will make include: • First Allied Securities,…
Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, Barclays and Other Banks To Pay $1.86B to Settle Credit Default Swaps Price Fixing Claims
Details of the settlement involving a dozen big banks accused of conspiring to rig prices and restrict competition in the credit default swaps market have been released. According to papers filed in federal court in Manhattan last week, the following firms will collectively pay nearly $1.9 billion: · JPMorgan Chase…
UBS Advisory Firms To Pay Investors $13M For Failure to Disclose Closed-End Fund Strategy Modification
UBS Fund Advisor LLC and UBS Willow Management LLC will pay $17.5M, including $13 million to investors that were hurt to resolve Securities and Exchange Commission charges accusing them of failing to disclose that there was a change in an investment strategy involving closed-end fund UBS Willow Fund LLC. The…
Barclays Resolves RMBS Lawsuits for $325M
Barclays (BARC) will pay $325M to resolve two civil cases related to residential mortgage-backed securities sales that took place during the housing boom. The plaintiff of both securities lawsuits is the National Credit Union Administration, which regulates federal credit unions. A number of credit unions under NCUA’s purview failed after…
CFTC Charges Guardian Asset Group With Illegal Off-Exchange Precious Metal Transactions
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has submitted a civil injunctive enforcement action against Guardian Asset group LLC and its owner Andrew Kurzbard. The regulator claims the defendants took part in illegal-off-exchange transactions involving precious metals. The transactions purportedly involved retail customers and took place on a financed, margined, or…
Ex-Edward Jones Advisor Gets Five Years Behind Bars for Bilking 56-Year-Old Disabled Woman
Jason Wade Cox, a former advisor for Edward Jones, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering involving the account of a 56-year-old disabled woman. Cox had been managing the account of Jodene Beaver ever since the death…
Ex-Rabobank Traders on Trial for Libor Rigging in the US
In New York City, the first criminal trial in the US involving traders accused of rigging the London interbank offered rate is underway. Anthony Conti and Anthony Allen, both former Rabobank traders, are accused of conspiring to turn in fraudulent rate reports for Libor to help others make money off…
UBS To Pay $19.5M Over Notes Tied to Currency Index
UBS AG (UBS) has agreed to pay $19.5 million to resolve SEC charges accusing the firm of making misleading or false statements and omissions in offering materials for structured notes connected to a proprietary strategy for foreign exchange trading. The firm is accused of falsely stating to investors in the…