Articles Posted in Annuities

For Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) Investors The Time To Act Is Now

Our Seasoned Annuity Investor Loss Attorneys May Be Able To Help You Go After Your Broker

Nearly two and a half years after Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) filed for bankruptcy protection, there has been no significant progress in liquidation proceedings. If you are someone who invested in an annuity or annuity-like product from this offshore entity and suffered significant losses, the time to act is now.

Are You A Senior Investor Who May Be The Victim of Annuities Fraud 

Our Savvy Annuity Loss Lawyers Are Representing Investors In Recouping Their Losses 

The team of Annuity Loss Lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (investorlawyers.com) is offering free, initial case consultations to those who have suffered significant losses in annuities. Unfortunately, annuity fraud does happen. Many victims are older investors who have lost their retirement savings in what they were led to believe was a safe, low-risk investment.

Are You A Massachusetts Investor Whose Citizens Securities Financial Advisor Sold You Colorado Bankers Life Insurance Annuities? 

Our Annuity Investor Fraud Lawyers May Be Able To Help

The team of Annuity Investor Fraud Lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (investorlawyers.com) are offering free, initial case consultations to Massachusetts investors who suffered losses in Colorado Bankers Life Insurance annuities. This includes those who were sold their policies by a Citizens Securities financial advisor. Citizens Securities, which is a Citizens Financial Group subsidiary, is now under investigation by Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin’s office.

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Is Investigating Citizens Securities Over Colorado Bankers Life Insurance Annuity Sales To Investors

Our Skilled Annuity Investor Loss Lawyers Can Help You Explore Your Legal Options

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas Annuity Investor Loss Lawyers have been pursuing the brokerage firms that sold annuities and annuity-like products from companies owned by billionaire Greg Lindberg. This includes our investigation into Citizens Securities, which is a subsidiary of Citizens Bank. The registered broker-dealer and investment adviser (RIA) may have allegedly unsuitably marketed and sold Colorado Bankers Life Insurance annuities to investors, including retirees.

Colorado Bankers Life Insurance Annuity Investors May Be Able To File Broker Fraud Lawsuits

Owner Greg Lindberg Faces More Criminal Charges

Our annuity investment loss lawyers are continuing to help investors pursue damages from the brokerage firms that allegedly unsuitably recommended and sold them annuities issued by Colorado Bankers Life Insurance Company. The insurer, which entered into liquidation in late 2022, is owned by billionaire Greg Lindberg.

An Update for Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) Investors

Our Trusted Annuity Fraud Lawyers Continue to Pursue Brokerage Firms Over Investment Losses

In a February 3 letter, Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) Ltd. (in Liquidation) notified shareholders that the substantive hearing of the Segregation Application will occur from April 24 to May 2, 2023, at the Supreme Court of Bermuda. It will be attended by attorneys for the joint provisional liquidators (JPLs), the Class Representatives, and the Amicus Curae. The letter also stated that the JPLs have filed a lawsuit in US Bankruptcy Court against Northstar (Bermuda) owner Greg Lindberg, his Global Growth Holdings, its affiliates, and others. Lindberg, who is currently out of prison, is awaiting a retrial and is also facing other criminal and regulatory charges.

Our Skilled Annuity Fraud Lawyers Represent Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) Investors

Mexico Investors File FINRA Lawsuit Accusing Truist Investment Services of Overconcentration

Once again, Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (investorlawyers.com) have filed a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration claim against Truist Investment Services over losses suffered by investors in Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) products. These claimants, two Mexican investors, are an older couple who entrusted the US-based brokerage firm to keep their savings secure. Instead, their Truist Investment Services broker allegedly 100% concentrated their funds in Northstar (Bermuda) while reassuring them, time and again, that all was well. Now, they are suing Truist and seeking up to six figures in damages.

New FINRA Arbitration Claim Seeks $260K in Damages 

Former Wells Fargo Clearing Services (WRET) broker Herbert Lee Weith IV is named in yet another customer dispute in which the claimant is seeking damages for losses involving variable annuities. Weith, who was a Wells Fargo broker from 2012 to 2019 in Naples, Florida, became a registered investment advisor for Equitable Advisors, LLC, in Columbia, Maryland from January to October of 2020.

Our Florida broker fraud attorneys have been looking into complaints by ex-Wells Fargo customers of Weith who suffered serious investment losses that may have been caused by unsuitable investment recommendations. Contact our attorneys at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm at investorlawyers.com) today. 

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has put out a new investor alert warning about advertisements that are marketing higher-than-average CD yields. The self-regulatory authority says that some of the ads might be an attempt to get investors to buy a much more much more expensive investment, such as a fixed or equity-indexed annuity, that is not risk free. Often, the alternative investments are insurance products.

FINRA warned that with most CD promotions that are marketing ploys, an investor would be required to go to an office or talk to a salesperson, who may try to convince the prospective buyer to purchase an alternative product that is not a CD. Typically, the minimum purchase amount is high, such as $25K. Such ploys would also tout a “bonus”-a sum the salesperson would pay you plus the average percentage yield of the CD. FINRA warns that this bonus is actually an incentive to get you to hear the pitch for the more complex product. Meantime, the seller may be earning a high commission for making the sale.
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In the wake of regulator scrutiny, Voya Financial Advisors is once again placing restrictions on its sale of variable annuities. The regulators are wondering whether the products are appropriate for investors who are saving for retirement. Variable annuities have been getting a lot attention from regulators from FINRA, the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Labor Department, which oversees retirement benefit plans that provide tax benefits and are sponsored by employers.

InvestmentNews reports that according to internal documents, Voya said that it would no longer approve the sale of C share variable annuity contracts if the contract has add-ons that cost extra. It was just last month that the firm placed the same restriction on variable annuity contracts involving L shares.

Zoya brokers will now have to provide clients with an analysis, prepared by Morningstar Inc., of each annuity contract’s cost in dollars. They also will have to get a client’s signature before selling the new annuity.
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