Ponzi Scheme Seduces Investors for $3.8 Million
A Colorado-based pyramid and Ponzi scheme that boasts returns of 700 percent has been charged with fraud by the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Since April 2014, Kristin Johnson and Troy Barnes who operated under “The Achieve Community,” … Read More
Core Compliance’s Latest RMU: Valuation – What Investment Advisers Should Know
Last month, Core Compliance & Legal Services, Inc. (“Core Compliance”) published its monthly Risk Management Update (“RMU”), written by Managing Director, Consultation Services, Tina Mitchell. Ms. Mitchell’s RMU, titled Valuation – What Investment Advisers Should Know, provides an overview of … Read More
Cybersecurity Examination Sweep Summary
This week the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”) released its latest Risk Alert: Cybersecurity Examination Sweep Summary. A focused examination of over 100 registered broker-dealers and advisers was conducted to “better understand how broker-dealers and advisers address … Read More
Pass or Fail: SEC to Review MSRB’s Proposed Basic Competency Exam
Individuals who perform “municipal advisory activities, such as providing financial advice to state and local governments on municipal bond issuances” may soon be required to be licensed by passing a basic competency exam. During their recent quarterly board meeting, the … Read More
The Big Four: Cybersecurity Tips
It’s no secret that 2014 was the “year of the hacker”. Huge companies like JP Morgan and Apple were the victims of cybersecurity breaches that affected thousands of consumers. In an effort to reduce these attacks, both the Securities … Read More
National Examination Program’s 2015 Priorities
In the last Core Compliance blog post, we highlighted our 2015 Compliance Predictions, shortly before the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) released the National Examination Program’s priorities for 2015. The list, which is relatively short compared to previous years’, … Read More
2015 Compliance Predictions
Happy New Year! With 2014 behind us and 2015 charging full steam ahead, the Core Compliance team wants to share a few of our 2015 compliance predictions. Increase Use of Technology Based on 2014’s results, we believe the Securities and … Read More