In March 2025, Stifel Financial was ordered by a three person FINRA Arbitration Panel to pay a family of customer investors over $132 million related to overwhelming losses caused by misrepresentations surrounding structured note investments. The landmark award included almost $80 million in punitive damages and over $25 million in…
The stock market has been on a rollercoaster, and many investors—especially retirees—have seen their portfolios endure serious declines. Even Warren Buffett, one of the most respected investors in history, has been selling off stocks and reducing risk exposure. If a legendary investor like Buffett is pulling back, it raises an…
If you’re a retiree or nearing retirement, the latest market downturn may have shaken your confidence in your investments. Watching your portfolio take a hit right before retirement is more than frustrating—it can be devastating. At this stage in life, you don’t have decades to recover from financial losses like…
On December 4, President-elect Trump announced that his pick for the next Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chair would be Paul Atkins. There seems to be a positive response to the news, as Bitcoin quickly traded over $100,000. As Malecki Law has previously blogged, the current chair, Gary Gensler, has…
Every year, millions of elderly Americans fall victim to financial fraud due to their banks’ and brokerage firms’ failure to implement appropriate supervision over their client’s accounts and by their staff that are largely licensed. In 2023, there was a 14% increase in elder financial fraud complaints, with over $3.4…
In recent times, we have seen an increase in retail investors wanting to invest in cryptocurrencies. However, the unknown and unregulated aspects of the cryptocurrency world may deter retail investors from owning cryptocurrency coins and tokens outright. A seemingly safer way curious retail investors can invest in crypto is to…
Malecki Law’s founder, Jenice Malecki, was recently quoted in a Crypto Times article about crypto regulation as it relates to the impending presidential election. Ms. Malecki shared her thoughts that no matter who is to be elected as President, that there is one obvious takeaway –“the crypto industry needs regulation.”…
Despite the weight that a FINRA Bar carries in the financial services industry, investigations show that barred financial professionals have had little trouble remaining employed in the financial services industry. Financial Advisor IQ, along with its sister publication Life Annuity Specialist, is conducting investigations into individuals barred by FINRA who…
On September 17, 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved a proposed rule change to amend Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.’s (FINRA) Rule 3240, citing Malecki Law in their approval order. Rule 3240 previously prohibited registered persons from borrowing from or lending money to their customers, with the five…
FINRA has proposed a change to its Rule 12800, which addresses simplified arbitration involving cases of $50,000 or less. Specifically, the proposal, (Release No. 34-100204; File No. SR-FINRA-2024-008), would amend provision 12800(g)(1), giving customers in paper cases and special proceedings the option to elect whether they want Document Production Lists…