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		<title>NYSE DMM GTS Making Markets Better: Aligns With Boutique Investment Bank Mischler</title>
		<link>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/nyse-dmm-gts-making-markets-better-aligns-boutique-investment-bank-mischler/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/nyse-dmm-gts-making-markets-better-aligns-boutique-investment-bank-mischler/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Nov 2018 14:05:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ari rubenstein]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dean chamberlain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[electronic market-maker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[minority broker-dealer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mischler financial group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nyse dmm gts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[veteran-owned brokerdealer mischler financial]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://brokerdealer.com/blog/?p=2144</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>NYSE’s Top DMM – GTS – Takes Stake in Boutique Investment Bank Mischler Financial Group – GTS and Veteran-Owned Mischler Financial Group Forge High-Tech, High-Touch Alliance to Serve Corporate Issuers, Investment Managers and Other Market Participants – New York, NY – November 19, 2018 – GTS, the New York Stock Exchange’s largest Designated Market-Maker (“DMM”) [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/nyse-dmm-gts-making-markets-better-aligns-boutique-investment-bank-mischler/">NYSE DMM GTS Making Markets Better: Aligns With Boutique Investment Bank Mischler</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h5>NYSE’s Top DMM – GTS – Takes Stake in Boutique Investment Bank Mischler Financial Group</h5>
<p>– <em>GTS and Veteran-Owned Mischler Financial Group Forge High-Tech, High-Touch Alliance to Serve Corporate Issuers, Investment Managers and Other Market Participants </em>–</p>
<p>New York, NY – November 19, 2018 – GTS, the New York Stock Exchange’s largest Designated Market-Maker (“DMM”) and a leading electronic trading firm, and Mischler Financial Group, Inc. (“Mischler”), the financial services industry’s oldest minority broker-dealer owned and operated by service-disabled veterans, today announced a strategic alliance that will establish a best-in-class offering for primary debt and equity market underwriting as well as secondary market best execution across the capital markets.</p>
<p>The partnership, which is anchored by a technology-powered offering for public companies and a broad universe of capital markets participants, will yield a low-cost, more efficient and more effective trade execution experience. Mischler will become a “forward operating base” for the growing GTS capital markets franchise, affording clients access to technology and sources of liquidity that are generally only available to the world’s most sophisticated investors.</p>
<div id="attachment_2146" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://www.mischlerfinancial.com"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2146" src="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/mfg-gts2-300x161.png" alt="nyse-dmm-gts-mischler" width="300" height="161" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">(l)Ari Rubenstein,GTS co-founder &amp; CEO (r) Dean Chamberlain (SDV),CEO,Mischler Financial Group</p></div>
<p>Founded in 2006 as a proprietary, quantitative trading firm, GTS is now a recognized leader in market structure and proudly oversees trading for more than one-third of NYSE-listed companies. The firm has an extensive track record developing and deploying proprietary, industry-best technology to bring better price discovery, trade execution and transparency to the markets.</p>
<p>“This is a high-tech, high-touch partnership designed to meet the needs of a new generation of issuers, asset managers, and trading and investment professionals seeking low-impact market liquidity and best-in-class execution,” said Ari Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GTS. “Clients are rightfully demanding innovation in the marketplace, and this alliance is uniquely designed to provide that and much more.”</p>
<p>Mischler, established in 1994, is an active underwriter across global equities, corporate and municipal debt, government securities and structured products. In the last three years alone, Mischler has played a role in almost 700 primary debt and equity market transactions. The firm also provides conflict-free share repurchase services for corporate treasurers as well as secondary market trade execution in equities and fixed income for a discrete universe of public plan sponsors and institutional investment managers.</p>
<p>Dean Chamberlain, Mischler’s Chief Executive Officer and a West Point graduate and former U.S. Army Officer, added: “The combined GTS-Mischler offering holistically provides a powerful arsenal of primary and secondary market solutions for the most demanding capital markets constituents. Mischler’s pedigree, capital markets expertise and front-line position – where we engage with a discrete network of corporate treasury executives and investment managers – is now further strengthened by the unrivaled technology and multi-asset trade facilitation platform that GTS has pioneered.”</p>
<p>Mischler is a fully-certified Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (SDVOBE) and FINRA’s oldest veteran-owned investment bank and institutional brokerage. “For issuers and investment managers focused on retaining truly expert capabilities while fulfilling their Diversity &amp; Inclusion goals, the combined GTS-Mischler platform will not merely meet, but will exceed all expectations,” added Mr. Chamberlain.</p>
<p>Mr. Rubenstein concluded: “This partnership is another trans-formative moment for the build-out of our capital markets business and reflects the next phase of an evolution in which GTS and Mischler constituents can more easily access and benefit from quantitative, algorithmic, and next generation AI applications. The current environment and the landscape of the future will reward market participants who responsibly leverage technology. If we can arm all investment professionals with these assets, they can thrive in new ways.”</p>
<p>To read the entire story, please visit <a href="www.mischlerfinancial.com/mischler-gts-connection" target="_blank">www.mischlerfinancial.com/mischler-gts-connection</a></p>
<p><span id="more-2144"></span></p>
<h4>NYSE DMM GTS Making Markets Better: Aligns With Boutique Investment Bank Mischler</h4>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/nyse-dmm-gts-making-markets-better-aligns-boutique-investment-bank-mischler/">NYSE DMM GTS Making Markets Better: Aligns With Boutique Investment Bank Mischler</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
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		<title>Minority Broker-Dealer Makes Annual Veterans Day Pledge</title>
		<link>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/minority-broker-dealer-makes-annual-veterans-day-pledge/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/minority-broker-dealer-makes-annual-veterans-day-pledge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 31 Oct 2018 21:07:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://brokerdealer.com/blog/?p=2137</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Newport Beach, CA &#38; Stamford, CT – November 1, 2018 — Each year, Mischler Financial Group, Inc. (“Mischler”), the securities industry’s oldest investment bank and institutional brokerage owned and operated by service-disabled veterans, pledges a percentage of the firm’s profits to veteran and service-disabled veteran philanthropies as part of its annual Veterans Day charitable initiative. [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/minority-broker-dealer-makes-annual-veterans-day-pledge/">Minority Broker-Dealer Makes Annual Veterans Day Pledge</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Newport Beach, CA &amp; Stamford, CT – November 1, 2018 — Each year, Mischler Financial Group, Inc. (“Mischler”), the securities industry’s oldest investment bank and institutional brokerage owned and operated by service-disabled veterans, pledges a percentage of the firm’s profits to veteran and service-disabled veteran philanthropies as part of its annual Veterans Day charitable initiative. This year, Mischler is proud to announce that Army Ranger Lead The Way Fund will be the recipient of the Mischler 2018 Veterans Day Month pledge.</p>
<p>Established in 2007, Army Ranger Lead The Way Fund, Inc. (<a href="http://www.leadthewayfund.org/">“LWTF”</a>) is a 501c3 Non-Profit created in honor of Sgt. James J. Regan (“Jimmy”) who served with Charlie Company, 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Jimmy was killed in action while serving in Baqubah, Iraq on February 9, 2007, at the age of 26. Since its formation, the organization has been dedicated to raising funds to support disabled U.S. Army Rangers and the families of Rangers who have died, have been injured or are currently serving in harm’s way around the world. LTWF provides spouses and children of deceased, disabled or active duty Rangers with assistance for acute medical care, recovery and wellness programs, warrior transition programs and other services determined to be vital to the family’s well-being, beyond what the government can offer.</p>
<p>Dean Chamberlain, Chief Executive Officer of Mischler and a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point who served as a Captain in the U.S. Army 4<sup>th</sup> Infantry Division from 1985-1990 stated, “We are grateful to the many clients of our firm who provide us with the opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities and in turn, afford us the ability to pay back and pay forward to carefully-selected philanthropies throughout the year. When paying tribute to Veterans Day, in particular, we believe that Army Ranger Lead The Way Fund meets and exceeds the objectives of our firm’s philanthropic mission.”<strong><br />
</strong></p>
<div id="attachment_2139" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://www.mischlerfinancial.com"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2139" src="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/final-ltwf-3-300x167.png" alt="minority-broker-dealer-mischler" width="300" height="167" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Mischler CEO Dean Chamberlain (center), General Joseph Votel (right) attending Lead The Way Fund Gala honoring General Votel and Steve Cohen ,Founder Cohen Veteran Network</p></div>
<p><strong>About Lead The Way Fund, Inc.</strong></p>
<p>Army Ranger Lead The Way Fund, Inc<a href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.profile&amp;ein=208757694">., A 501c3 Non-Profit,</a> Is An Active Duty, Casualty Assistance, Recovery, Transition And Veterans Organization That Provides Financial Support, Beyond What The Government And Veterans Affairs Can Offer, To U.S. Army Rangers And The Families Of Those Who Have Died, Have Been Disabled Or Who Are Currently Serving In Harm’s Way Around The World. The organization website is <a href="https://www.leadthewayfund.org/">https://www.leadthewayfund.org/.</a></p>
<p><strong>About Mischler Financial Group, Inc.</strong></p>
<p>Mischler is a federally-certified Service-Disabled Veteran-owned Small Business (SDVOSB). Established in 1994, the firm is FINRA’s oldest investment bank and institutional brokerage owned and operated by Service-Disabled Veterans. Within the primary capital markets, Mischler provides investment banking, underwriting, and distribution of corporate debt and equities, and municipal debt issuance. Mischler’s secondary market, conflict-free capabilities extend across the U.S. and global equity markets, exchange-traded funds and the U.S. fixed income markets. Mischler also provides asset management for liquid and alternative investment strategies. Clients of the firm include leading institutional investment managers, Fortune corporate treasurers and municipal officials, public plan sponsors, endowments, and foundations. The firm’s website is located at <a href="https://www.mischlerfinancial.com/">www.mischlerfinancial.com</a></p>
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/minority-broker-dealer-makes-annual-veterans-day-pledge/">Minority Broker-Dealer Makes Annual Veterans Day Pledge</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
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		<title>Federal Judge View Re: Broker Rebates From Exchanges: Securities Fraud?</title>
		<link>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/federal-judge-view-re-broker-rebates-exchanges-securities-fraud/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/federal-judge-view-re-broker-rebates-exchanges-securities-fraud/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Sep 2018 18:08:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[broker rebates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flashboys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hft]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketsmuse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[payment for order flow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PFOF]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[securities fraud]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://brokerdealer.com/blog/?p=2132</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Class Action Lawsuit Against TD Ameritrade for taking Broker Rebates From Exchanges and HFT Firms &#8220;May Be Securities Fraud,&#8221; Says Federal Judge; PFOF is Under the Gun, Again (Below re-published with permission from MarketsMuse.com)&#8211; Broker Rebates, Payment-for-Order-Flow and “Pay-to-Play” have become synonymous with new world order in which exchanges, dark-pool operators and high-frequency trading (“HFT”) [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/federal-judge-view-re-broker-rebates-exchanges-securities-fraud/">Federal Judge View Re: Broker Rebates From Exchanges: Securities Fraud?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h4>Class Action Lawsuit Against TD Ameritrade for taking Broker Rebates From Exchanges and HFT Firms &#8220;May Be Securities Fraud,&#8221; Says Federal Judge; PFOF is Under the Gun, Again</h4>
<p>(Below re-published with permission from <a href="https://www.marketsmuse.com" target="_blank">MarketsMuse.com</a>)&#8211; Broker Rebates, Payment-for-Order-Flow and “Pay-to-Play” have become synonymous with new world order in which exchanges, dark-pool operators and high-frequency trading (“HFT”) firms, (the so-called “flashboys”) dominate the world of stock trading. While many Wall Street geniuses will argue “the genie is out of the bottle” when it comes to <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/paymentoforderflow.asp" target="_blank">payment-for-order-flow</a>, it doesn’t mean this practice is right-minded, no less legal-and it hasn’t stopped naysayers from arguing that customers’ best interests are clearly not part of the equation. A Federal judge in Nebraska seems to agree, based on his ruling last week that allows a class action lawsuit aimed at TD Ameritrade in connection with their receiving payment-for-order-flow rebates from high-frequency trading (“HFT”) (and not even sharing those rebates with customers!) to proceed. The plaintiff argument is that TD has violated best execution guidelines. Should anyone be shocked?! After all, the topic of payment-for-order-flow and barely-disclosed rebates paid to brokerages by exchanges and electronic market-making firms in consideration for routing orders to them has been a topic of spirited debate for <a href="https://tradingplacesnewsletter.com/u-s-equity-rebates-part-1-ab509294f832" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than several years.</a></p>
<p>Here’s the excerpt from WSJ reporting by Cezary Podkul:</p>
<p>Mom-and-pop investors who think their brokers are prioritizing high-frequency traders over them may soon have a chance to try to prove their case in court.</p>
<p>A federal judge in Nebraska this month ruled a class-action lawsuit could proceed against <a href="http://quotes.wsj.com/AMTD">TD Ameritrade Holding</a> <span class="company-name-type"> Corp.</span> <a class="media-object-chiclet down " href="http://quotes.wsj.com/AMTD?mod=chiclets" data-channel="/quotes/zigman/99432/composite" data-symbol="AMTD" data-changepercent="-1.09"> AMTD -1.09% </a> , one of the nation’s largest discount brokerages. In his ruling, the judge cited “serious and credible allegations of securities fraud” stemming from the company’s order routing practices.</p>
<h2 class="sub-head" style="text-align: center;"><em>Plaintiffs allege the discount brokerage prioritized its profits over their best interest on stock transactions</em></h2>
<p>The TD Ameritrade customers who brought the suit alleged the company, which provides investing and trading services for 11 million client accounts, prioritized its profits over their best interests. They claim it did so by accepting incentives from stock exchanges and large electronic trading firms to route customer orders to them without ensuring the customers would get the best prices available – an obligation that along with related factors is known as “<a class="icon none" href="http://finra.complinet.com/en/display/display_main.html?rbid=2403&amp;element_id=10455)&amp;mod=article_inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best execution</a>.”</p>
<p>A spokeswoman for TD Ameritrade said the company disagrees with the judge and will appeal his ruling.</p>
<p>To continue reading, please visit <a href="https://marketsmuse.com/class-action-aims-at-broker-rebates/" target="_blank">MarketsMuse.com</a></p>
<p><strong>If you’ve got a hot insider tip, a bright idea, or if you’d like to get visibility for your brand through MarketsMuse </strong>via subliminal content marketing, advertorial, blatant shout-out, spotlight article, news release etc., please reach out to our Senior Editor via <a href="http://marketsmuse.com/sponsorship-advertising-contact-marketsmuse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><em>cmo@marketsmuse.com</em></strong></a>.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/federal-judge-view-re-broker-rebates-exchanges-securities-fraud/">Federal Judge View Re: Broker Rebates From Exchanges: Securities Fraud?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Great Rebate Debate..Broker Disclosure IS Front-Burner Topic</title>
		<link>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/great-rebate-debate-broker-disclosure-is-front-burner-topic/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/great-rebate-debate-broker-disclosure-is-front-burner-topic/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Sep 2018 16:21:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blocktech]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[business plan]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[viablemkts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://brokerdealer.com/blog/?p=2127</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Exchange rebates paid to brokers for routing orders to their respective venues and the general issue with regard to the now ubiquitous &#8220;payment-for-order-flow&#8221; model that extends throughout the electronic trading ecosystem has been a topic of discussion for many years now. It may be confusing, but is certainly not an unknown concern to the universe [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/great-rebate-debate-broker-disclosure-is-front-burner-topic/">The Great Rebate Debate..Broker Disclosure IS Front-Burner Topic</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
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				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Exchange rebates paid to brokers for routing orders to their respective venues and the general issue with regard to the now ubiquitous &#8220;payment-for-order-flow&#8221; model that extends throughout the electronic trading ecosystem has been a topic of discussion for<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/regulators-weigh-curbs-on-trading-fees-1397516879" target="_blank"> many years now</a>. It may be confusing, but is certainly not an unknown concern to the universe of informed buy-side investors. For those who may be still be uninformed as to how/where/why/when (and how much?!) broker-dealers are on the receiving end of rebates, suffice to suggest its time you get yourself up to speed; your bottom-line can depend on it.</p>
<div id="attachment_2128" style="width: 274px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/regulators-weigh-curbs-on-trading-fees-1397516879" target="_blank"><img class="wp-image-2128 size-medium" src="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/exchange-rebates-maker-taker-payment-for-order-flow-264x300.jpg" alt="exchange-rebates-maker-taker-payment-for-order-flow" width="264" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Image Courtesy of April 2014 Wall Street Journal</p></div>
<p>Courtesy of financial industry media outlet MarketsMedia&#8217;s all-star journalist Terry Flanagan most recent dissertation &#8220;Got Transparency?&#8221; it is one that deserves an accolade from altruists within the industry, if not a check under the hood or bottom of Terry&#8217;s car before he starts the engine.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>&#8220;One aggravating factor is a lack of transparency. Many market participants do not know either the amount of the rebate or where it ends up.&#8221;</em></p>
<p class="u-text-m u-line-h-m">As Flanagan points out, &#8220;..In institutional equity trading, rebates have been a point of contention since the late 1990s, when Bill Clinton was U.S. President and the Dow Jones Industrial Average scaled 10,000 for the first time.</p>
<p class="u-text-m u-line-h-m">Supporters say exchanges paying rebates on order flow is a perfectly legitimate practice of rewarding customers and offering volume discounts. Helped by rebates, trading commissions have dropped substantially over the years; the biggest decline from 2005 to 2017 was 68% for the lowest-touch direct market access / algorithmic trades, according to Tabb Group research.</p>
<p class="u-text-m u-line-h-m" style="text-align: center;"><em>“Most buy-side firms operate with ‘all-in’ pricing models and aren’t provided granularity into fees by order, but the decisions on when and how to route to particular venues significantly impact execution performance&#8230;&#8221; according to Stino Milito, Co-Chief Operating Officer at Dash Financial Technologies.</em></p>
<p class="u-text-m u-line-h-m">On the other hand, critics say rebates create conflicts of interest, and shortchange end investors if brokers route in ways that disadvantages clients&#8230;&#8230;Helped by rebates, trading commissions have dropped substantially over the years; the biggest decline from 2005 to 2017 was 68% for the lowest-touch direct market access / algorithmic trades, according to Tabb Group research.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <em>“There is absolutely crap disclosure about broker-dealer routing strategies,” according to Dave Weisberger of <a href="http://www.viablemkts.com/" target="_blank">ViableMkts</a>. “If you can’t get a high-level view of how brokers route and what the outcomes are, then how can you be talking about a transaction fee pilot, or making claims about what rebates do to destroy the market?</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Are you a startup fintech or blocktech firm that is seeking to raise capital and finding yourself &#8216;short of&#8217; a cogent business plan or the proper investor offering documents?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Schedule your call with the senior executives at Prospectus.com LLC</strong> <a href="https://prospectus.com/contact-us" target="_blank"><strong>today</strong></a></em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">To read the entirety of Terry Flanagan&#8217;s piece in the latest edition of MarketsMedia, <a href="https://www.marketsmedia.com/got-transparency/?email=feat&amp;utm_source=Marketsmedia.com+Subscribers&amp;utm_campaign=c850781155-Daily+Newsletter+2017&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_752ea75972-c850781155-297394525&amp;mc_cid=c850781155&amp;mc_eid=a4f40876d6" target="_blank">click here</a></p>
<h4>The Great Rebate Debate..Broker Disclosure IS Front-Burner Topic</h4>
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/great-rebate-debate-broker-disclosure-is-front-burner-topic/">The Great Rebate Debate..Broker Disclosure IS Front-Burner Topic</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
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		<title>SEC Proposal To Address Brokers&#8217; Conflicts of Interest Bashed</title>
		<link>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/sec-proposal-address-brokers-conflicts-interest-bashed/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/sec-proposal-address-brokers-conflicts-interest-bashed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 08 Aug 2018 19:02:31 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[SEC Proposal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SEC Proposal Broker Conflict of Interest]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://brokerdealer.com/blog/?p=2121</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Latest SEC Proposal Broker Conflict of Interest Causes More Than Confusion. Anyone Surprised?! It would only seem logical that, after counting the thousands of instances (which are only partially revealed via Finra&#8217;s brokercheck database) in which retail investors have been ripped-off by licensed investment brokers who have sold an investment product without disclosing conflicts of interest courtesy of incentive [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/sec-proposal-address-brokers-conflicts-interest-bashed/">SEC Proposal To Address Brokers&#8217; Conflicts of Interest Bashed</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h4>Latest SEC Proposal Broker Conflict of Interest Causes More Than Confusion. Anyone Surprised?!</h4>
<p>It would only seem logical that, after counting the thousands of instances (which are only partially revealed via Finra&#8217;s brokercheck database) in which retail investors have been ripped-off by licensed investment brokers who have sold an investment product without disclosing conflicts of interest courtesy of incentive fees or kickbacks those brokers are making from third parties when selling seemingly simple and/or complex investment products to the respective customers.  After all, the burden of establishing rules of the road and regulating the practice of selling investment instruments has long been the domain of the US Securities &amp; Exchange Commission and secondarily on Finra, which is a self-regulated body that governs the broker-dealer space&#8211;which is comprised of the universe of brokers who sell investment products.  The SEC mandate&#8211;according to altruists&#8211;is to protect investors from abusive practices advanced by those selling investment products by establishing regulations that protect investors. Further, Finra&#8217;s mandate is to impose standards of compliance and to police broker-dealers to ensure they comport with SEC regulations.</p>
<p>Aside from the last comments being somewhat redundant, all of this would seem to make sense, were it not for the fact that Finra is the SEC&#8217;s biggest lobbyist. Finra member firms (who pay membership fees) are comprised of all of the brokerages that sell investment products to retail investors and by default, Finra is therefore conflicted when having the biggest lobbying influence on the SEC as to the rules and regulations that govern those member firms.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><em>Sponsored by Prospectus.com. Our team of capital markets experts and securities lawyers specialize in preliminary offering prospectus, secondary offering prospectus and full menu of financial offering memorandum document preparation. More information <a style="color: #428bca;" href="https://www.prospectus.com/services/prospectus-writing/" target="_blank">via this link</a></em></span></p>
<div id="attachment_2122" style="width: 269px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/SEC-Proposal-Broker-Conflict-of-Interest.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2122" src="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/SEC-Proposal-Broker-Conflict-of-Interest.jpg" alt="sec-proposal-broker-conflict-of-interest" width="259" height="194" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Mr. Trump and Mr. Clayton (SEC Commissioner)</p></div>
<p>Yes, there are consumer advocacy groups that lobby the SEC to ensure proper protections are in place for unwitting investors. But, the fact is those advocacy groups do not have anywhere near the resources to effectively influence the handful of SEC Commissioners who are handpicked by the prevailing administration&#8211;meaning those sitting inside the White House. All one has to do is consider the circuitous path aggrieved investors must take when they&#8217;ve been wronged to realize the system is stacked against them, starting with investors having to bring their claims via an industry arbitration forum and foregoing their rights to sue the wrong-doers in an actual court of law. Once in arbitration, investors then face a forum that is typically overweighted with &#8220;expert&#8221; industry professionals&#8211;the folks who work for Finra member firms, whether as consultants or direct employees. More important, all one has to do is analyze the number of cases brought by investors against a member firm and their respective broker to recognize the cases resolved in favor of the investor are dwarfed by the number of instances in which a &#8216;no harm no foul&#8217; determination is made in favor of the defendant.</p>
<p>The good news is that in recent years, enough outcry on the part of investors has led to among other things, the federal government establishing an independent watchdog in the form of the <a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/the-bureau/" target="_blank">Consumer Financial Protection Bureau</a>, whose role &#8220;is to <span style="color: #101820;">make consumer financial markets work for consumers, responsible providers, and the economy as a whole. We protect consumers from unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices and take action against companies that break the law.&#8221; </span> Further, thanks to prior White House administration, the SEC adopted a new set of standards intended to better protect the investor from their investment brokers and imposing guidelines that called for greater transparency and more granular disclosure as to conflicts of interest on the part of investment brokers so that investors could fully understand exactly where their investment dollars were directed and the actual returns on investment they could anticipate receiving.</p>
<p>The bad news is that Finra has fought with tooth and nail to water down those regulations and much like the NRA, they&#8217;re experts at navigating the swamplands of Washington DC.  Further bad news-the Trump Administration&#8217;s doctrine to loosen regulations on banks and brokers with the goal of making it less onerous insofar as compliance overhead and regulatory oversight so banks can make big profits on transactions and enable them to be more leveraged has also taken aim at those pesky conflict of interest disclosure requirements imposed on investment brokers.</p>
<p>Before TrumpWorld (the political version of WestWorld), it was acknowledged that brokers should be disclosing fees they earn, including commission being charged to the customer and incentive fees the broker is getting paid from the manufacturer of the investment product.</p>
<p>But we know that Trumpeteers have long campaigned to turn the clock back and with the influence of the orange-haired guy sitting in the Oval Office, to bring the world back to the 1950&#8242;s so that business titans and US-styled oligarchs who play golf at Mar-A-Lago could become fatter cats than they already are.  And that mindset has included the investment broker space, as evidenced by Trump&#8217;s SEC latest proposal to water down existing rules and pending legislation that would favor investors as opposed to the brokers selling investment products&#8211;who after all-are either country club members or who vie to be. That&#8217;s what makes America great, right?</p>
<p>Something funny happened after the SEC&#8217;s latest proposal-investors and brokers have balked. Here&#8217;s the opening excerpt from the WSJ coverage..</p>
<h1 class="wsj-article-headline">SEC’s Proposed Curbs on Stockbroker Advice Under Attack</h1>
<h2 class="sub-head" style="font-weight: 300; color: #666666;">Plan<span style="color: #000000;"> from Trump-appointed officials at SEC runs into criticism from both brokers, investors</span></h2>
<div class="clearfix byline-wrap">
<div class="byline"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-weight: inherit; font-style: italic;">By</span> </span></p>
<div class="author mobile-scrim hasMenu scrim-loaded" style="font-weight: inherit; font-style: italic;" data-scrim="{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;author&quot;,&quot;header&quot;:&quot;Dave Michaels&quot;,&quot;subhead&quot;:&quot;The Wall Street Journal&quot;,&quot;list&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;icon&quot;:&quot;bio&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wsj.com/news/author/8386&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Biography&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;icon&quot;:&quot;twitter&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;http://twitter.com/davidamichaels&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;@davidamichaels&quot;}]}"><span class="name" style="color: #0080c3;">Dave Michaels</span></div>
</div>
<p><time class="timestamp" style="color: #666666;">Aug. 7, 2018 4:02 p.m. ET</time></p>
</div>
<div id="share-target"></div>
<p>WASHINGTON—A government proposal to restrict incentives that can bias broker advice to clients is generating complaints both from Wall Street and investor advocates.</p>
<p>The plan by the Securities and Exchange Commission, developed by Trump-appointed officials, may replace some aspects of an Obama-era regulation by the Labor Department that Wall Street successfully challenged in court. A federal court <a class="icon none" style="color: #0080c3;" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/fiduciary-rule-dealt-blow-by-circuit-court-ruling-1521164915?mod=article_inline">invalidated</a> the Labor rule, and the Trump administration declined to appeal the decision, killing it for good.</p>
<p>Now investor groups, brokerages and other business groups are taking shots at the SEC’s attempt to address brokers’ conflicts of interest, saying that it is too vague and won’t improve protections for investors. The commission must consider the comments before it can vote to implement the regulation, perhaps sometime in 2019.</p>
<div class="paywall">
<p>The SEC proposal would require brokers to act in the best interest of clients, barring the picking of lackluster or unsuitable investments because they make more money for them or the brokerage firm.</p>
<p>Investor groups say the SEC’s proposed requirements are so ambiguous that they won’t change the status quo. Brokerage firms, meanwhile, complain the measure creates a new standard without telling them how their brokers might run afoul of it. They also complain it treats them more harshly than investment advisers, who have a fiduciary duty to put their clients’ needs first.</p>
<p>“This will only serve to harm the brokerage model and limit choice for those investors who prefer the brokerage advice model,” wrote the American Securities Association, whose members include Cowen <span class="company-name-type">Inc.,</span> Stifel Financial <span class="company-name-type">Corp.</span> and LPL Financial Holdings <span class="company-name-type">Inc.</span></p>
<p>The SEC didn’t define “best interest” in its <a class="icon none" style="color: #0080c3;" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/sec-votes-to-propose-stricter-broker-standards-1524087157?mod=article_inline" target="_blank">April proposal</a>. It also didn’t explicitly state how brokers should “mitigate” conflicts of interest that can undermine their need to provide legitimate recommendations.</p>
</div>
<p>To read the full coverage, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/secs-proposed-curbs-on-stockbroker-advice-under-attack-1533672177?mod=searchresults&amp;page=1&amp;pos=2" target="_blank">click here</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/sec-proposal-address-brokers-conflicts-interest-bashed/">SEC Proposal To Address Brokers&#8217; Conflicts of Interest Bashed</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
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		<title>TMX, BOX, ICE and Now SIX Get on Crypto Exchange Bandwagon</title>
		<link>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/tmx-box-ice-now-six-get-crypto-exchange-bandwagon/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/tmx-box-ice-now-six-get-crypto-exchange-bandwagon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jul 2018 17:56:40 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>The alphabet soup of exchange operators, Toronto&#8217;s TMX Group (TMX), the Boston Options Exchange (BOX), NYSE owner Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and now Swiss exchange operator SIX are all shifting into high gear with plans for getting into the crypto exchange platform business. On the heels of the recently announced tZero alignment with BOX, one that [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/tmx-box-ice-now-six-get-crypto-exchange-bandwagon/">TMX, BOX, ICE and Now SIX Get on Crypto Exchange Bandwagon</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The alphabet soup of exchange operators, Toronto&#8217;s TMX Group (TMX), the Boston Options Exchange (BOX), NYSE owner Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and now Swiss exchange operator SIX are all shifting into high gear with plans for getting into the crypto exchange platform business.</p>
<p>On the heels of the<a href="https://marketsmuse.com/boston-options-exchange-to-launch-securities-token-mart/" target="_blank"> recently announced </a>tZero alignment with BOX, one that envisions a listing and trading marketplace for crypto land digital tokens, the Swiss stock exchange (SIX) jumped into the fray and announced that it too is going to open a cryptocurrency exchange, and the exchange operator claims it will be the first of its kind in the world.</p>
<div id="attachment_2113" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Jos-Dijsselhof-SIX.jpe"><img class="size-full wp-image-2113" src="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Jos-Dijsselhof-SIX.jpe" alt="jos-dijsselhof" width="225" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Jos Dijsselhof, CEO of SIX</p></div>
<p>The SIX plan, <a href="https://www.six-swiss-exchange.com/news/overview_en.html?id=six_digital_exchange" target="_blank">unveiled Friday</a> is to build a “fully integrated trading, settlement and custody infrastructure for digital assets,” in order to “provide a safe environment for issuing and trading” established cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, and tokens issued in so-called initial coin offerings.</p>
<p>The custody aspect formulated by SIX is notable, as the safety of stored cryptocurrencies is one of the big fears in this market.</p>
<p>SIX is in good company with many industry observers who have embraced the notion “You can’t put the Genie back in the bottle.” According to SIX CEO Jos Dijsselhof, “This is the beginning of a new era for capital markets infrastructures. For us it is abundantly clear that much of what is going on in the digital space is here to stay and will define the future of our industry.”</p>
<p>SIX hopes to go live with this new exchange in the first half of 2019, regulatory permission pending.</p>
<p>SIX is not the first operator of a traditional stock exchange to get into cryptocurrency trading. The TMX Group, which runs the Toronto Stock Exchange, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/business/2018/03/23/tmx-to-launch-cryptocurrency-platform-focusing-on-bitcoin-ether.html" target="_blank">announced its own cryptocurrency brokerage service</a> earlier this year, and Intercontinental Exchange, which own the New York Stock Exchange, is reportedly <a href="https://thenextweb.com/hardfork/2018/05/08/nyse-joins-the-wall-street-race-towards-cryptocurrencies/" target="_blank">also toying with the idea</a>.</p>
<p>Securities industry veterans who have migrated to the crypto and digital token arena have continuously advocated that the ultimate success of cryptocurrency and digital tokenization in terms of institutional market acceptance of this new alternative asset class is dependent on fully-regulated exchange platforms. When looking back to the evolution of dual and multi-listing of equity options, and now seeing the pile on to get into crypto, it&#8217;s like deja vu all over again.<br />
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gDbNRhLnQFo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/tmx-box-ice-now-six-get-crypto-exchange-bandwagon/">TMX, BOX, ICE and Now SIX Get on Crypto Exchange Bandwagon</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
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		<title>Securities Token Exchanges Cranking Up in US: BOX +tZero</title>
		<link>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/securities-token-crypto-exchanges-cranking-up-in-us-box-tzero/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/securities-token-crypto-exchanges-cranking-up-in-us-box-tzero/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 May 2018 13:18:45 +0000</pubDate>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://brokerdealer.com/blog/?p=2108</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Now that crypto cool kids are finally getting the memo: &#8220;These are Securities!&#8221; ,  the proposed first fully regulated Securities Token Exchange is coming to the US-via the Boston Options Exchange. tZERO, the digital-themed broker-dealer created by Patrick Byrne and BOX Digital Markets LLC (BOX Digital)-a subsidiary of Boston Options Exchange, announced it has formed [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/securities-token-crypto-exchanges-cranking-up-in-us-box-tzero/">Securities Token Exchanges Cranking Up in US: BOX +tZero</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Now that crypto cool kids are finally getting the memo: &#8220;These are Securities!&#8221; ,  the proposed first fully regulated Securities Token Exchange is coming to the US-via the Boston Options Exchange.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;" align="center">tZERO, the digital-themed broker-dealer created by Patrick Byrne and BOX Digital Markets LLC (BOX Digital)-a subsidiary of Boston Options Exchange, announced it has formed a joint venture to launch the industry’s first regulated security token exchange.</p>
<div id="attachment_2109" style="width: 204px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Lisa-Fall-BOX-Digital-Exchange-Security-Token.jpg"><img class="wp-image-2109 size-full" title="lisa fall, box digital exchange-securities token exchange" src="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Lisa-Fall-BOX-Digital-Exchange-Security-Token.jpg" alt="Lisa Fall, BOX Digital Exchange" width="194" height="189" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Lisa Fall, Box Digital</p></div>
<p>On May 18, 2018, the two companies entered into a letter of intent to form an exchange to list and publicly trade security tokens for companies that issue, or convert existing stock to, security tokens. The proposed joint venture would be equally owned by <a href="t0.com,%20Inc. " target="_blank">tZERO</a> and BOX Digital, with each having equal representation on the Board of Directors, together with one mutually agreed upon independent director. Lisa Fall, who currently serves as CEO of BOX Digital and as president of BOX Options Exchange LLC, would be the CEO of the joint venture.</p>
<p>“tZERO has proven to be a pioneer in the development and practical use of blockchain technologies for capital markets for a number of years,” said Ms. Fall. “tZERO’s track record and accomplishments in this innovative area, coupled with BOX’s expertise in operating a highly efficient and transparent equity options marketplace, made partnering together an easy decision and we look forward to building a world-class platform for listing and trading security tokens.”</p>
<p>tZERO plans to contribute cash and license tZERO’s blockchain technology for operation of the security token market. BOX Digital will contribute expertise and personnel toward obtaining regulatory approval and operation of the security token market. Approval of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will be sought following execution of definitive documentation. Creation of the joint venture is subject to definitive documentation and customary conditions.</p>
<p>“Our partnership with BOX Digital Markets is a significant milestone that will create the first SEC-regulated exchange designed to efficiently trade crypto securities. Lisa Fall’s leadership, reputation and deep experience in the regulated securities exchange industry will be a major asset in achieving this objective,” said Saum Noursalehi, newly appointed CEO of tZERO. “Together, we will continue to work with the SEC as we develop a first-of-its-kind platform that will integrate blockchain capital markets into the current U.S. National Market System.”</p>
<p>&#8220;Now that pragmatic securities industry thought-leaders have figured out how to package crypto assets within the construct of a security so as to conform to the US regulatory regime, nobody can dispute the fact the genie is out of the bottle .  Securities Token Offerings (&#8220;STOs&#8221;) is a much more palatable approach, making way for a new mantra, &#8220;ICOs are dead, long live STOs&#8221;, until of course, another shoe drops.</p>
<p>For the full story from Traders Magazine, <a href="http://www.tradersmagazine.com/news/cryptocurrencies/tzero-and-box-digital-markets-to-launch-security-token-exchange-117720-1.html" target="_blank">click here</a></p>
<p><span id="more-2108"></span></p>
<h4>Securities Token Exchanges Cranking Up in US: BOX +tZero</h4>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/securities-token-crypto-exchanges-cranking-up-in-us-box-tzero/">Securities Token Exchanges Cranking Up in US: BOX +tZero</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
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		<title>Veteran-Owned Broker-Dealer&#8217;s Memorial Day Month Pledge</title>
		<link>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/veteran-owned-broker-dealers-memorial-day-month-pledge/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/veteran-owned-broker-dealers-memorial-day-month-pledge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 May 2018 15:06:56 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Since its inception in 1995, boutique investment bank and institutional brokerage Mischler Financial Group (“MFG”) has been devoted to meeting the capital market needs of the nation’s leading corporations, municipal issuers and a broad spectrum of the industry’s most demanding investment managers and public plan sponsors. Positioned as a firm that &#8216;punches above its weight class [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/veteran-owned-broker-dealers-memorial-day-month-pledge/">Veteran-Owned Broker-Dealer&#8217;s Memorial Day Month Pledge</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Since its inception in 1995, boutique investment bank and institutional brokerage Mischler Financial Group (“MFG”) has been devoted to meeting the capital market needs of the nation’s leading corporations, municipal issuers and a broad spectrum of the industry’s most demanding investment managers and public plan sponsors. Positioned as a firm that &#8216;punches above its weight class in every metric&#8217;, Mischler is viewed by corporate treasurers and 6-pack banks as a &#8216;pure complement&#8217; to the role played by lead underwriters. The firm&#8217;s highly-coveted middle-markets investor base, comprised of public plan sponsors and investment managers are notoriously &#8216;under-covered&#8217; by the big Wall Street banks, and Mischler&#8217;s ability to bring these relationships to primary market offerings floated by Fortune corporations is a noticeable value add. The firm is also known for being the sell-side&#8217;s first and arguably, most foremost minority broker-dealer owned and operated by Service-Disabled Veterans.</p>
<p>Of equal importance, throughout its history, the firm has committed resources and year-round financial support to veteran-centric legislative initiatives, career building and mentoring veterans. This includes support of philanthropic programs focused on improving the quality of SDVs and their families’ lives as well as charitable programs that concentrate on supporting the families of military men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the course of serving our country.</p>
<div id="attachment_1249" style="width: 458px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://mischlerfinancial.com/veteran-owned-broker-dealer-minority-bd-mischler/video-library_minority_broker_dealer_executives/"><img class="size-full wp-image-1249" src="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/dean-chamberlain-mischler-dare-to-be-different.jpg" alt="dean chamberlain" width="448" height="247" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Mischler Financial Group CEO Dean Chamberlain</p></div>
<p>In connection with the firm&#8217;s year-round <a style="color: #365cb6;" href="https://mischlerfinancial.com/veteran-owned-broker-dealer-minority-bd-mischler/giving_back_disabled_veterans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">philanthropic mission</a>, the months of May and November are specifically dedicated to honoring Memorial Day and Veterans Day. During these two months, Mischler contributes a percentage of the firm’s profit to select organizations that according to Chief Executive Officer<a href="https://mischlerfinancial.com/veteran-owned-broker-dealer-minority-bd-mischler/video-library_minority_broker_dealer_executives/" target="_blank"> Dean Chamberlain</a>, a West Point grad and certified SDV,  &#8220;We deploy support to organizations that have a positive impact on the lives of vets, SDVs and Gold Star family members who simply do not have the depth of resources that so many of us take for granted.&#8221;</p>
<p>In honor of “Memorial Day Month 2018,” Mischler announced its annual pledge to the <a style="color: #365cb6;" href="https://semperfifund.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Semper Fi Fund</strong></a>, one of the country’s highest-rated charities. Formed in 2004, “SFF” is committed to providing immediate financial assistance, education scholarships, career transition programs and life-time support to post-9/11 combat wounded, critically ill and catastrophically injured members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.  Since its inception, Semper Fi Fund has distributed over $167 million to more than 20,000 service members and their families and MFG is therefore privileged to continue our support of SFF.</p>
<p>Stated Chamberlain, &#8220;On behalf of the entire Mischler Financial Group family, we are grateful and honored that clients of our firm will be supporting our Memorial Day Month 2018 pledge via our <a href="https://mischlerfinancial.com/mischler-capital-market-services-disabled-veteran-owned-broker-dealer/" target="_blank">trading and capital markets desks</a> and/or <a style="color: #365cb6;" href="https://semperfifund.org/donate/">direct contribution to SFF</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/veteran-owned-broker-dealers-memorial-day-month-pledge/">Veteran-Owned Broker-Dealer&#8217;s Memorial Day Month Pledge</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
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		<title>FINRA Has a Facebook Data Breach Problem; Whistleblower</title>
		<link>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/finra-facebook-data-breach-problem-whistleblower/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/finra-facebook-data-breach-problem-whistleblower/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Mar 2018 22:00:18 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[facebook data breach]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://brokerdealer.com/blog/?p=2094</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>FINRA, other regulators mishandled brokerage account data. Just like Facebook, Inc.! If you&#8217;ve been on another planet during the past two weeks, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) reported that the company&#8217;s data network was hijacked by a &#8220;political intelligence&#8221; firm posing as an academic researcher and used captured data of 50 million Facebook users to launch a [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/finra-facebook-data-breach-problem-whistleblower/">FINRA Has a Facebook Data Breach Problem; Whistleblower</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3 class="bsp-page-title title-small">FINRA, other regulators mishandled brokerage account data. Just like Facebook, Inc.!</h3>
<p>If you&#8217;ve been on another planet during the past two weeks, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) reported that the company&#8217;s data network was hijacked by a &#8220;political intelligence&#8221; firm posing as an academic researcher and used captured data of 50 million Facebook users to launch a Trump-friendly advertising campaign in the weeks and days leading up to the 2016 Presidential election. We know how that worked out. Well, according to a whistleblower, it appears that US securities industry self regulator FINRA left its back door wide open too.</p>
<p>Per Bloomberg reporting, &#8220;..A whistleblower is accusing some key financial regulators of allowing sensitive broker information to become readily accessible, even as industry watchdogs emphasized the need for companies to protect client data.</p>
<p>According to a complaint lodged with the SEC, personal data such as brokerage account numbers provided to an industry-funded regulator have long been easily accessible online. Separately, Social Security numbers and other information meant to be kept private also was made publicly accessible by state regulators for years up until 2015, according to the complaint, which was reviewed by Bloomberg News.</p>
<p>At issue is material on brokers and their firms gathered by FINRA and other regulators to help clients keep tabs on the people handling their money. To spot potential red flags, the SEC encourages investors to search the data that’s housed in the sprawling Central Registration Depository of more than 3,700 broker-dealers and hundreds of thousands of people authorized to work in the securities industry.</p>
<p>Some of that information, which is used in FINRA’s BrokerCheck online portal and passed on to state authorities, has been mishandled, said the whistle-blower who asked not to be identified in discussing the allegations for fear of reprisals.</p>
<p>While both FINRA and the North American Securities Administrators Association acknowledged past problems in a response to questions from Bloomberg News, they dispute any contention that they’ve been negligent in efforts to clean-up the disclosures.</p>
<p>The issues shed light on the massive back-office systems maintained by regulators and the difficulty of keeping the sensitive information in them private. There is so much data that FINRA has a team of more than 30 people who review filings and runs hundreds of automated queries to look for information that shouldn’t be made public.</p>
<p>“They’re sitting on top of an even larger amount of private data than the firms they regulate,” said Donald Langevoort, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington. “There is an immense amount of cynicism about the ability of any institution public or private to do a good job at safeguarding privacy.”</p>
<p>Concern over financial regulators’ ability to safeguard data led to congressional hearings last year after the SEC revealed that hackers broke into its corporate filing system and accessed two people’s names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers. That disclosure followed a massive breach at Equifax that may have led to the theft of personal data on about 150 million Americans.</p>
<p>If you are advancing a private placement offering, please reach out to Prospectus.com LLC via <a href="https://www.prospectus.com" target="_blank">this link</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/finra-facebook-data-breach-problem-whistleblower/">FINRA Has a Facebook Data Breach Problem; Whistleblower</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
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		<title>How Patrick Byrne Levered a SPAC to Create Cryptocurrency Kingdom</title>
		<link>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/how-patrick-byrne-levered-spac-create-cryptocurrency-kingdom/</link>
		<comments>http://brokerdealer.com/blog/how-patrick-byrne-levered-spac-create-cryptocurrency-kingdom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Dec 2017 18:31:17 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[Overstock]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Patrick Byrne]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[special purpose acquisition company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tZERO]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>(Republished with permission from Prospectus LLC) -Patrick Byrne has often been dismissed by contemporaries for being brash, confrontational and someone who just likes to create chaos. Courtesy of a $1million stake in Kennedy Cabot Acquisition Holdings, a Special Purpose Acquisition Company aka SPAC, Byrne is further along on a journey to secure the title of [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/how-patrick-byrne-levered-spac-create-cryptocurrency-kingdom/">How Patrick Byrne Levered a SPAC to Create Cryptocurrency Kingdom</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(Republished with permission from Prospectus LLC) -Patrick Byrne has often been dismissed by contemporaries for being brash, confrontational and someone who just likes to create chaos. Courtesy of a $1million stake in Kennedy Cabot Acquisition Holdings, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special-purpose_acquisition_company" target="_blank">Special Purpose Acquisition Company </a>aka SPAC, Byrne is further along on a journey to secure the title of being the cheapest online discount broker and also, the crown to the cryptocurrency kingdom .</p>
<p>Overstock.com, the on-line retailer led by multi-industry disruptor Patrick Byrne has seen its share price surge nearly 100% in the past four weeks, and not because of online shopping spikes during this holiday season. And not because it was the first retailer to accept bitcoins back in the day when no other retailer even understood the concept of distributed ledger and blockchain, the elements that power bitcoin, the ubiquitous cryptocurrency whose price has gone from $500 to over $20,000 in less time than it takes most companies to float an initial public offering.</p>
<figure id="attachment_14515" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 300px;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-14515" src="https://www.prospectus.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/patrick-byrne-cryptocurrency-king-300x200.png" alt="patrick-byrne-cryptocurrency" width="300" height="200" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Patrick Byrne</figcaption></figure>
<p>Along the way, we can guess that the former online discount retailer of stuff has watched his net worth increase by at least several hundred million dollars, as the shares of all of his various holdings have increased multi-fold. Its because Patrick Byrne has been hard at work during the past number of months executing a stealth strategy by leveraging his purchase of a SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) that has made Overstock a virtual holding company whose portfolio of companies now includes (i) <a href="http://www.mediciventures.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Medicia Ventures</a>, a cross between a PE and VC platform that is focused on cryptocurrency enterprises (ii) an on-line brokerage that was formerly a woman-owned broker-dealer known as Muriel Siebert &amp; Co and renamed <a href="https://www.tzero.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzeyr4tCb2AIVUoGzCh2X6wAPEAAYASAAEgJiffD_BwE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“tZero</a>” that will enable day traders to make $2.99 stock trades and pay in cryptocurrency, (ii) a stake in <a href="http://dbottrading.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delaware Board of Trade</a>, an <a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/prnews/quote?Symbol=SSC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">electronic exchange </a>run by the former head honcho at the Philadelphia Stock Exchange former vice-Chairman of NASDAQ OMX and positioned as the first and only blockchain based Alternative Trading System <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seven-stars-cloud-announces-27-purchase-of-delaware-board-of-trade-holdings-inc-dbot-300573871.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fully licensed by the SEC,</a> which will float Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs)  and enable investors to buy and sell bitcoin based bond funds that are packaged in similar fashion to exchange-traded funds aka ETFs.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Having a successful ICO is usually easier and costs less than an IPO, the penalties for fraud remain the same. Make sure you document everything and <a href="https://www.prospectus.com/contact-us-prospectus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have an experienced partner</a> in your corner to ensure you are meeting obligations to both investors and, eventually, regulators.</em></strong></p>
<p>But every road has its bumps. A planned <a href="https://www.prospectus.com/initial-coin-offerings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initial coin offering </a>(ICO) for Overstock blockchain subsidiary tZERO, scheduled to go live at midnight Monday, has yet to launch as originally anticipated. While little is known about the now nearly day-long delay, a countdown clock on <a href="https://www.saftlaunch.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SAFTLaunch.com</a>, the issuance portal for tZERO’s token, has expired without any update to the company’s website or social media accounts. Indeed, CoinDesk’s calls to key Overstock executives, including CEO Patrick Byrne, went unreturned or unanswered today.</p>
<p>To continue reading, please visit <a href="https://www.prospectus.com/2017/12/overstock-patrick-byrne-cryptocurrency-king/" target="_blank">Prospectus.com</a></p>
<h4><span id="more-2087"></span></h4>
<h4>How Patrick Byrne Levered a SPAC to Create Cryptocurrency Kingdom</h4>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog/how-patrick-byrne-levered-spac-create-cryptocurrency-kingdom/">How Patrick Byrne Levered a SPAC to Create Cryptocurrency Kingdom</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://brokerdealer.com/blog">BrokerDealer Blog</a>.</p>
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